Metallically confined microdisks with in-plane multiple guided emissions

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Photonic integration requires efficient light sources capable of driving multiple components simultaneously.
• Microdisk lasers offer compact and tunable light sources but often lack efficient multi-element coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate in-plane multiple guided emissions from metallically confined microdisk lasers.
• To explore the potential for driving multiple elements in compact photonic integration using these microdisk lasers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation and Padé approximation for theoretical analysis.
• Investigated two- to four-port microdisks with transverse magnetic (TM) and electric (TE) polarizations.
• Analyzed mode quality factors (Q) to verify mode filtering and coupling port matching with energy density distribution.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the theoretical possibility of in-plane multiple guided emissions from metallically confined microdisk lasers.
• Showcased mode filtering capabilities based on the matching of coupling ports and mode energy density.
• Identified selective pumping as a method to achieve single-mode lasing operation with guided emissions.

Conclusions:

• Metallically confined microdisk lasers can achieve in-plane multiple guided emissions, suitable for integrated photonic circuits.
• The proposed design allows for simultaneous driving of multiple elements, enhancing photonic integration density.
• Selective pumping offers a pathway to control lasing modes for specific applications in integrated photonics.