Tamm metasurface lasers for sensing and datacomm applications

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Lasers have changed the world: from measurement and metrology to communication and computing, they have become an ubiquitous semiconductor technology. Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) emit through the surface of the semiconductor: they are ideal for sensing, such as measuring distance in autonomous cars. They can be tested at wafer level (unlike edge emitting lasers (EELs) that need to be diced and require extremely flat cleaved facets to operate), they are highly compact, and can be modulated more rapidly than EELs. The global market for VCSELs was worth $1.4 billion in 2021, and is expected to grow to $5.7 billion by 2029.I will demonstrate a new kind of VCSEL: a Tamm Assisted Metasurface Surface Emitting Laser (TAMSEL). These devices will increase the manufacturing throughput of semiconductor wafers by 50% over conventional VCSEL designs, as well as offering post growth control of the laser properties simply by controllably patterning a "metasurface" comprised of a nanoscale metallic surface layer photonic crystal. They have the potential to drastically increase the modulation speed and reduce the power consumption of vertically emitting lasers, and to provide a "solid state lighthouse" with a steerable beam. These devices will provide a drop-in replacement for VCSELs in the burgeoning sensing and datacentre communications markets. By using both commercial semiconductor wafers from IQE Ltd, as well as custom-grown wafers from the EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility (NEF), I will develop lasers compatible with existing wafer manufacturing techniques. I will work with Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (CSAC) to benchmark these devices against commercially available traditional VCSELs as well as against state-of-the-art PCSELs (Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers) from industrial partner, Vector Photonics, the leading UK start-up in the PCSEL space, to help move Tamm technologies out of the lab and into the world.