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Lithographically Defined, Room Temperature Low Threshold Subwavelength Red-Emitting Hybrid Plasmonic Lasers
Ning Liu1, Agnieszka Gocalinska2, John Justice2
1Department of Physics and Bernal Institute, University of Limerick , Limerick, Ireland.
Nano Letters
|December 15, 2016
Summary
Researchers developed lithography-based hybrid plasmonic lasers using AlGaInP for red emission. These nanoscale devices offer deep subwavelength confinement and low lasing thresholds, enabling integration into optical circuits.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Nanophotonics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Hybrid plasmonic lasers offer deep subwavelength optical confinement and enhanced light-matter interactions.
- Existing devices often rely on bottom-up growth, hindering integration into high-density plasmonic circuits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally demonstrate AlGaInP-based, red-emitting hybrid plasmonic lasers using lithography.
- To investigate the relationship between mode confinement and lasing performance in nanoscale cavities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized lithography-based fabrication processes for AlGaInP hybrid plasmonic lasers.
- Demonstrated resonant cavities with deep subwavelength 2D and 3D mode confinement.
- Fabricated various cavity geometries including waveguides, rings, squares, and disks.
Main Results:
- Achieved room-temperature operation of red-emitting hybrid plasmonic lasers.
- Demonstrated deep subwavelength mode confinement (λ²/56 and λ³/199).
- Observed very low lasing thresholds (0.6–1.8 mJ/cm²) with a wide gain bandwidth (610–685 nm).
Conclusions:
- Established a connection between mode confinement and enhanced absorption/stimulated emission, crucial for low thresholds in small cavities.
- The lithography-based approach facilitates integration into industry-relevant plasmonic circuits.
- Results pave the way for dense arrays of hybrid plasmonic lasers on optical and electronic platforms.
