Small lasers: Towards future photonic technologies

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The global energy demand is projected to increase by almost 50% from 2012 to 2040. It is critical to address this challenge with new energy efficient technologies. The PI's research exploits high quality, low-dimensional materials to develop next generation devices. The proposed research continues the PI's endeavor in improving the efficiency of using energy through innovating photonic devices with group-III nitride nanostructures, far beyond the current state of the art. This program represents an ideal blend of dissemination of scientific knowledge across multiple disciplines and training of a new generation of high caliber scientists, and is unlike any other in Canada. It offers to train at least 4 students (2 PhD and 2 MEng) over the 5 year period.******The long-term goal is to realize compact (size of a few cm3) and high power (watt-level) nanolasers in the visible and deep ultraviolet optical bands. To reach this long-term goal, it is imperative to understand the basic limitations of having such high power lasers, e.g., what are the key factors and what would be the optimized conditions. Therefore, in the short term, the PI's team aim to establish a fundamental understanding of these basic limitations, through developing color tunable and deep ultraviolet photonic crystal lasers with group-III nitride nanostructures, built upon the PI's preliminary results and intensive experience with these materials. Achieving these two short-term goals, the PI's team will establish strategies and building blocks to enable future high power compact nanolasers. ******Why is this research important? It is simply because we all need light and lasers are the most energy efficient technology to produce light; and the focused optical bands are highly relevant to our daily lives. In the visible, they will enable light sources that can be used for laser lighting, Li-Fi, among others; and with Li-Fi alone the projected market size is over $70B US dollars by 2023. In the deep ultraviolet, they will enable disruptive technologies, e.g., portable disinfection and bio/chemical sensing devices. ******This program will impact Canadians profoundly. Canada has vast north territories, where there are remote communities and deployed workers working there. In these areas, energy efficiency and device portability are critically important, as traditional energy sources, e.g., power grids, are hard to implement. The high power compact nanolaser technologies expected to be created through this program will positively impact their life quality, from lighting to drinking water disinfection, bio/chemical hazards detection, and so on. This program could also influence international communities. Recently, a student who wants to join the PI's research mentioned in email that the research is very attractive, because the potential technologies can help people in the student's home country. Clearly, the impact of this program on human society will surpass its impact on science and technology.**