Current-Injection Disk Nanolasers

该计划的目标是通过在低损耗导电介质附近开发高质量模式来演示亚波长尺度圆盘谐振器在室温下的电流注入、连续波激光作用，并提供基于需要电流注入和电场应用的纳米腔的与CMOS兼容的建筑积木。所开发的纳米谐振器也将被用作外部纳米调制器。智能的优点在于开发实用的平面纳米激光器，其波长小于真空中激光模式的一个波长。建立电流注入纳米激光器的挑战来自于抑制电极金属对光的吸收的困难。皮？S构建亚波长尺度电流注入纳米激光器的方法是使用简单、高Q的圆盘纳米腔设计与透明导电氧化物(TCO)电极，如氧化铟锡(ITO)。采用TCO介质的皮？S设计具有热导大、电阻小、通过直流注入到小激光模式获得高量子效率等优点。更广泛的影响是通过发展纳米激光器的突破性技术，促进片上光电子系统的发展，如光学互连芯片、芯片上实验室、量子信息芯片、成像设备和数据存储芯片。电控光定位技术将打破现有光定位技术设置的边界，为创造新的光定位器件、提高光学器件的性能和功能开辟了可能。该计划将通过创建在线、动手、免费的科学课程来提供极好的拓展机会。

The objective of this program is to demonstrate current injection, continues-wave lasing action at room temperature from sub-wavelength-scale disk resonators by developing high-quality modes in the proximity of low-loss conductive media and provide CMOS-compatible buildings blocks based on nanocavities that require current injection and electric field application. The developed nano-resonators will also be used as external nano-modulators. Intellectual merit is in developing practical, planar nanolasers that is smaller than one wavelength of lasing mode in vacuum. A challenge to build current injection nanolasers arises from the difficulty of suppressing absorption of light by electrode metal. The PI?s approach to build sub-wavelength-scale current-injection nanolasers is to use simple, high-Q disk nanocavity designs with transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes such as indium tin oxide (ITO). The PI?s designs with TCO media have advantages, including large thermal conductance, small electric resistance, and large quantum efficiency via the direct current injection to small lasing modes. The broader impacts are in inducing the development of on-chip photonics systems, such as optical interconnect chips, lab-on-chip, quantum information chips, imaging devices, and data storage chips, via the development of breakthrough technology in nanolasers. The electrically-controlled light localization technology would break the boundary set by present light localization technology and open up possibilities of creating new light localization devices and enhance the performance and functionality of optical devices. The program will provide excellent outreach opportunities by creating online, hands-on, free scientific curriculums.