Quantum Dot-Photonic Crystal Lasers

0424080 VUCKOVIC PI提出了两种新型量子点光子晶体激光器：二维耦合光子晶体谐振器阵列（CPCRA）激光器和单量子点激光器。前者是基于他最近提出的CPCRA结构;这种激光器将表现出低的工作阈值，这是由于光子晶体微腔中的大的自发辐射率增强，以及由于芯片上数百个光子晶体微腔激光器的相位耦合操作而导致的增加的输出功率（相对于传统的光子晶体微腔激光器）。他提出的第二种激光器是单量子点激光器，它代表了激光器小型化的极限。这种激光器将基于光子晶体微腔，他提出了一个单量子点激子的腔量子电动力学（QED），并将代表一个固态等效的单原子激光器最近证明。然而，单量子点激光器不需要非常复杂的原子俘获机制，这限制了单原子激光器的持续时间。在应用层面上，开发低阈值、高输出功率的光子晶体激光器是其大部分商业应用的关键。此外，单量子点激光器的开发对于超低功率激光器应用非常重要，因为该结构将具有比任何传统激光器更低的阈值。在基本层面上，单个量子点激光器的演示将为研究固态腔QED和量子光学提供机会，而不是使用被困在腔内的原子。最后，作为该项目的一部分，PI还将开发一个综合研究和教育计划，范围从基础科学（量子光学，量子信息科学和介观物理学）到工程（光子学和光电子学）。PI认为，对新一代研究人员和技术人员的教育投资将使光子晶体和量子光学在未来充分发挥潜力。此外，通过使其他科学领域的研究人员熟悉他的工作，他将可能创造新的应用和研究方向。

0424080VUCKOVICThe PI proposes to build two novel types of quantum dot-photonic crystal lasers: a two-dimensional coupled photonic crystal resonator array (CPCRA) laser, and a single quantum dot laser. The former is based on CPCRA structures that he has proposed recently; such a laser would exhibit low operating threshold resulting from a large spontaneous emission rate enhancement in photonic crystal microcavities, together with increased output power (relative to conventional photonic crystal microcavity lasers) resulting from the phase-coupled operation of hundreds of photonic crystal microcavity lasers on a chip. The second type of laser that he proposes is a single quantum dot laser, which represents an ultimate limit in laser miniaturization. This laser would be based on photonic crystal microcavities that he has proposed for cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) with a single quantum dot exciton, and would represent a solid-state equivalent of a single atom laser demonstrated recently. However, a single quantum dot laser would not require a very complicated atom trapping mechanism, which limits the duration of a single-atom laser operation at present.On the application level, the development of photonic crystal lasers with low threshold and increased output power is crucial for most of their proposed commercial applications. In addition, the development of a single quantum dot laser would be of great importance for ultra-low-power laser applications, as the structure would have lower threshold than any conventional laser. On the fundamental level, the demonstration of a single quantum dot laser would open opportunities to study cavity QED and quantum optics in the solid state instead of using atoms trapped inside cavities. Finally, as part of this project, the PI will also develop an integrated research and educational program ranging from fundamental science (quantum optics, quantum information science, and mesoscopic physics) to engineering (photonics and optoelectronics). The PI believes that an investment into education of a new generation of researchers and technologists will enable exploitation of photonic crystals and quantum optics at their full potential in the future. Moreover, by making researchers in other fields of science familiar with his work, he will possibly create new applications and research directions.