Single-Mode Laser in the Telecom Range by Deterministic Amplification of the Topological Interface Mode

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Integrated Circuits
• Topological Photonics

Background:

• Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are essential for advanced communication and computing.
• On-chip single-mode lasers are critical for realizing the full potential of PICs.
• Topological designs offer new ways to control device properties like single-mode emission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel cavity design for amplifying topological interface modes.
• To demonstrate the first single-mode laser utilizing amplified topological modes.
• To achieve this without introducing artificial losses in the telecom band.

Main Methods:

• Designing a topological lattice with deterministic placement of gain material.
• Experimentally implementing the design using selective epitaxy.
• Integrating silicon (Si) and Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) nanorods in the same layer.

Main Results:

• Successful amplification of the topological interface mode.
• Demonstration of a single-mode laser operating in the telecom band.
• Achieved topological lasing without artificial losses.

Conclusions:

• The novel cavity design effectively amplifies topological modes for single-mode lasing.
• This work presents a new pathway for developing efficient on-chip light sources.
• The demonstrated approach avoids performance degradation from artificial losses.