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Fast switching between the ground- and excited-state lasing in a quantum-dot microdisk triggered by sub-ps pulses
Optics Letters
|January 9, 2024
Summary
Optical pulses can rapidly switch quantum-dot microlasers between lasing states. Weak pulses enhance ground-state lasing, while strong pulses quench it, enabling excited-state lasing and fast optical switching.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Semiconductor nanostructures
Background:
- Quantum-dot microdisks are promising for microlaser applications.
- Understanding transient dynamics is crucial for device control.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effect of pulsed optical excitation on quantum-dot microlaser dynamics.
- Explore the potential for all-optical switching of microlaser states.
Main Methods:
- Continuous-wave optical pumping of a quantum-dot microdisk.
- Sub-picosecond pulsed optical excitation at varying powers.
- Analysis of transient lasing intensity dynamics.
Main Results:
- A critical pulse power level was identified, influencing transient microlaser behavior.
- Weak pulses enhanced ground-state lasing, while strong pulses quenched it.
- Strong pulses induced short-lived excited-state lasing within 0.5 ns.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a novel all-optical switching mechanism for quantum-dot microlasers.
- Microlaser states can be rapidly controlled by adjusting pulsed optical excitation power.
- This phenomenon opens avenues for ultrafast optical signal processing.
