Home > Press > Heterostructure and Q-factor engineering for low-threshold and persistent nanowire lasing
A novel direct-indirect heterostructures is designed, where lasing emission only occurs from quantum well regions but carriers are injected from indirect regions, where recombination is suppressed. This provides a continuous 'topping-up' of carrier density in the quantum well, causing nanosecond lasing after sub-picosecond excitation. Coupled with a mm-scale optical correlation length, corresponding to an end-facet reflectivity of over 70%, these two features provide record-low room-temperature lasing thresholds for near-infrared silicon-integratable nanowire lasers CREDIT by Stefan Skalsky, Yunyan Zhang, Juan Arturo Alanis, H. Aruni Fonseka, Ana M. Sanchez, Huiyun Liu and Patrick Parkinson |
Abstract:
Over the past decade, the idea of photonic computing - where electrons are replaced with light in microelectronic circuits - has emerged as a future technology. This promises low-cost, ultra-high-speed and potentially quantum-enhanced computing, with specific applications in high-efficiency machine learning and neuromorphic computing. While the computing elements and detectors have been developed, the need for nanoscale, high-density and easily-integrated light sources remains unmet. Semiconductor nanowires are seen as a potential candidate, due to their small size (on the order of the wavelength of light), the possibility for direct growth onto industry-standard silicon, and their use of established materials. However, to date, such nanowire lasers on silicon have not been demonstrated to operate continuously at room temperature.
In a new paper published in Light Science & Application, scientists from the Photon Science Institute in Manchester, UK with colleagues at University College London and the University of Warwick demonstrate a new route to achieving low-threshold silicon-integratable nanowire lasers. Based on a novel direct-indirect semiconductor heterostructures enabled by the nanowire platform, they demonstrate multi-nanosecond lasing at room temperature. A key design element is the need for high-reflectivity nanowire ends; this is typically a challenging requirement, as common growth methods do not allow simple optimization for high quality end-facets. However, in this study, by employing a novel time-gated interferometer the researchers demonstrate that the reflectivity can be over 70% - around double that expected for a conventional flat-ended laser due to the confinement of light.
Together, the novel material structure and high quality cavity contribute to a low lasing threshold - a measure of the power required to activate lasing in the nanowires - of just 6uJ/cm^2, orders of magnitude lower than previously demonstrated. Not only does this new approach provide high quality nanolasers, but the MBE growth provides a high-yield of functioning wires, with over 85% of nanowires tested working at full power without thermal damage. This high yield is critical for industrial integration of this new structure.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Patrick Parkinson
Copyright © Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related Links |
Related News Press |
News and information
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
Possible Futures
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
With VECSELs towards the quantum internet Fraunhofer: IAF achieves record output power with VECSEL for quantum frequency converters April 5th, 2024
Chip Technology
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024
HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024
Optical computing/Photonic computing
With VECSELs towards the quantum internet Fraunhofer: IAF achieves record output power with VECSEL for quantum frequency converters April 5th, 2024
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024
HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024
Discoveries
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
New micromaterial releases nanoparticles that selectively destroy cancer cells April 5th, 2024
Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024
Announcements
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
Photonics/Optics/Lasers
With VECSELs towards the quantum internet Fraunhofer: IAF achieves record output power with VECSEL for quantum frequency converters April 5th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024
HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
Premium Products | ||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||