The linewidth enhancement factor of intersubband lasers: from a two-level limit to gain without inversion conditions

The linewidth enhancement (α factor) due to fluctuations in the refractive index induced by carrier fluctuations of intersubband lasers was initially expected to be zero. However, values ranging from -0.5 to 3 have been found experimentally. This paper resolves this controversy showing that counter rotating terms, usually ignored in simulations are the actual fundamental origin of nonzero α at peak gain even without inclusion of nonparabolicity and manybody effects, which are however needed to explain negative values. For laser without inversion conditions, significant as a potential out of the box solution for the elusive room temperature operation of terahertz lasers, α is found to be larger, but still at the same order of magnitude of conventional inverted medium lasers, thus ensuring their applicability to a huge number of spectroscopic applications which require sharp laser linewidths.