Surface Lattice Resonance Lasers with Epitaxial InP Gain Medium

Area of Science:

• Photonics and optical engineering
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Surface lattice resonance (SLR) lasers utilize plasmonic nanoparticles for feedback and thin-film gain materials.
• Existing SLR lasers often use organic dyes or quantum dots, which are prone to photodegradation, limiting their practical use.
• Solid-state laser gain media offer enhanced photostability compared to organic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate photostable, single-mode lasing in SLR lasers using an epitaxial solid-state indium phosphide (InP) slab waveguide.
• To investigate the impact of nanoparticle coupling on lasing threshold and spectral properties.
• To explore the potential for tunable emission wavelengths in solid-state SLR lasers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an epitaxial InP slab waveguide integrated with a periodic array of plasmonic nanoparticles.
• Characterization of lasing properties, including threshold, mode behavior, and spectral tunability.
• Analysis of scattering losses due to weak coupling between nanoparticle array and optical modes.

Main Results:

• Achieved photostable single-mode lasing in the InP slab waveguide SLR laser.
• Experimental lasing threshold as low as 94.99 ± 0.82 μJ cm² pulse^-1 due to decreased scattering losses from weak coupling.
• Demonstrated tunable emission wavelengths over a 70 nm spectral range by altering nanoparticle periodicity.

Conclusions:

• Combining plasmonic nanoparticles with solid-state InP gain media enables photostable SLR lasers.
• The developed SLR laser architecture offers low thresholds and tunable emission, suitable for on-chip integration.
• This technology holds promise for applications in optical communication, computing, sensing, and LiDAR.