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High-Q lasing via all-dielectric Bloch-surface-wave platform.
Yang-Chun Lee1, Ya-Lun Ho1, Bo-Wei Lin1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
Nature Communications
|October 13, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed new Bloch surface wave (BSW) lasers for on-chip nanophotonics. These BSW lasers demonstrate coherent light emission with high sensitivity, paving the way for advanced optical devices.
Area of Science:
- Nanophotonics
- Quantum Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Bloch surface waves (BSWs) offer promising control over light propagation and emission for on-chip nanophotonics.
- Current research focuses on developing BSW-based optical devices for integrated systems.
- A key challenge remains the development of a coherent light source utilizing stimulated BSW mode emission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate lasers based on a guided Bloch surface wave (BSW) mode.
- To achieve coherent light emission from a BSW mode for integrated photonic applications.
- To explore the potential of BSW lasers in ultra-sensitive sensing devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a BSW platform with a gain-medium guiding structure.
- Utilizing a guided BSW mode for stimulated emission.
- Characterization of lasing properties, including threshold, linewidth, and sensitivity.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of lasers based on a guided BSW mode.
- Achieved long-range propagation length and high-quality lasing emission of the BSW mode.
- BSW lasers exhibit a low threshold (6.7 μJ/mm²) and narrow linewidth (0.019 nm FWHM).
- The lasing scheme shows high sensitivity to environmental variations.
Conclusions:
- The developed BSW lasers represent a significant advancement in on-chip nanophotonics.
- The lasers provide a coherent light source based on stimulated BSW emission.
- The high sensitivity of the BSW lasers suggests their potential for ultra-sensitive environmental sensing applications.
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