Review
Optics
Kuankuan Ren, Chunhe Li, Zebo Fang, Fei Feng
Summary: Electrically pumped nanolasers have achieved exciting achievements in optoelectronic chips, information storage, and biosensing, and show great potential for various applications. However, there is a lack of in-depth and comprehensive review on the recent development of electrically pumped nanolasers. In this review, a detailed overview of electrically pumped nanolasers is provided, including single nanolaser, nanoarray lasers, nanobeam lasers, and plasmonic nanolasers with different cavity structures. The challenges and problems restricting their development are summarized, along with proposed solutions and development directions. This review will provide valuable insights for optimizing the device structure of electrically pumped nanolasers with new high-gain semiconductor materials and further promote their rapid application development.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Chen Shang, Kaiyin Feng, Eamonn T. Hughes, Andrew Clark, Mukul Debnath, Rosalyn Koscica, Gerald Leake, Joshua Herman, David Harame, Peter Ludewig, Yating Wan, John E. Bowers
Summary: The monolithic integration of quantum dot gain materials onto Si photonic platforms is a promising solution for on-chip light sources. In this study, the researchers successfully grew electrically pumped quantum dot lasers on patterned Si wafers, overcoming the challenges posed by the template architecture and achieving good laser performance and efficient light coupling.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Pierluigi Debernardi, Andrea Simaz, Alberto Tibaldi, Benjamin Boisnard, Thierry Camps, Francesco Bertazzi, Michele Goano, Benjamin Reig, Jean-Baptiste Doucet, Veronique Bardinal
Summary: Based on preliminary experiments, we designed a tunable 850 nm laser using a hybrid combination of a liquid crystal micro-cell with nanoimprinted grating and an electrically-pumped GaAs half-VCSEL. The challenging optical design includes tolerances of the hybrid technology, presence of metals in the cavity, and the need for single fundamental extraordinary mode emission over the whole tuning range. By introducing the concept of anisotropic transverse confinement design, we ensured proper operation. The overall performance was verified by our multiphysics VCSEL suite, predicting side mode suppression ratio and optical power under all working conditions for liquid crystals with different clearing temperatures. The results demonstrate that these lasers are viable tunable sources with interesting performance and complementary features compared to other technologies.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Evangelos Dimopoulos, Aurimas Sakanas, Andrey Marchevsky, Meng Xiong, Yi Yu, Elizaveta Semenova, Jesper Mork, Kresten Yvind
Summary: This paper demonstrates a continuous-wave PhC nanolaser with an ultra-low threshold current, operating at room temperature. It also investigates the influence of carrier leakage and fabrication disorder on laser performance.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Optics
Anqi Liu, Gangyun Guan, Xiaomei Chai, Nannan Feng, Min Lu, Xue Bai, Yu Zhang
Summary: The rapid development of lasers has greatly contributed to the advancement of optical technology and natural science. Perovskite lasers, with their unique light absorption and emission properties, have immense potential in various applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of perovskite lasers, focusing on their device structure, working principle, and recent advancements in pulsed optically pumped and electrically pumped lasers. The challenges and progress towards electrically pumped perovskite lasers are also emphasized.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Jieyuan Cui, Yunda Chua, Song Han, Chongwu Wang, Yuhao Jin, Jinghao Li, Yongquan Zeng, Qian Wang, Ming Ye, Wenduo Chen, Song Zhu, Fangyuan Sun, Lianhe Li, Alexander Giles Davies, Edmund Harold Linfield, Chuan Seng Tan, Qi Jie Wang
Summary: This paper demonstrates an electrically pumped bound state in the continuum (BIC) laser in the terahertz regime with ultra-compact size and good single-mode performance. The work opens up possibilities for practical applications of BIC concepts in advanced optoelectronics and integrated photonics.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Leon Shterengas, Ruiyan Liu, Gela Kipshidze, Aaron Stein, Won Jae Lee, Takashi Hosoda, Dmitri N. Zakharov, Kim Kisslinger, Gregory Belenky
Summary: This study presents the epitaxially regrown PCSELs emitting at around 2 and 2.6 μm, showcasing the advantages of high-index-contrast photonic crystal layers. The devices achieved band-edge lasing and low threshold current densities, demonstrating potential for high-performance optoelectronic applications.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI-RAPID RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Eva A. A. Pogna, Alessandra Di Gaspare, Kimberly Reichel, Chiara Liberatore, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: We characterized the spatial coherence of random multimode THz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) and incorporated them into a confocal imaging system at THz frequencies, demonstrating notable imaging performances.
PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessandra Di Gaspare, Valentino Pistore, Elisa Riccardi, Eva A. A. Pogna, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Lianhe Li, Alexander Giles Davies, Edmund H. Linfield, Andrea C. Ferrari, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: This study demonstrates mode-locking in surface-emitting electrically pumped random quantum cascade lasers at terahertz frequencies by exploiting the giant third-order nonlinearity of semiconductor heterostructure lasers and the nonlinear properties of graphene. Self-induced phase-coherence between naturally incoherent random modes and phase-locked random modes are achieved using lithographically patterning a multilayer graphene film or coupling a saturable absorber graphene reflector. This milestone in the physics of disordered systems paves the way for miniaturized, electrically pumped mode-locked light sources for various applications.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Bahareh Marzban, Lukas Seidel, Teren Liu, Kui Wu, Vivien Kiyek, Marvin Hartwig Zoellner, Zoran Ikonic, Joerg Schulze, Detlev Grutzmacher, Giovanni Capellini, Michael Oehme, Jeremy Witzens, Dan Buca
Summary: SiGeSn materials show great potential for mid-infrared applications. In this study, an electrically pumped GeSn microring laser based on SiGeSn/GeSn heterostructures is demonstrated. The ring shape allows for enhanced strain relaxation, leading to improved optical properties and carrier guiding. Partial undercutting of the ring further promotes strain relaxation while maintaining adequate heat sinking. Lasing is achieved at temperatures up to 90 K, with a T0 of 75 K. The scaling of the threshold current density with the inverse of the outer circumference is attributed to optical losses at the etched surface. The results of this study will guide further optimization of the device towards improving electrical injection and increasing the bandgap directness of the active material using stressors.
Article
Optics
Song Han, Jieyuan Cui, Yunda Chua, Yongquan Zeng, Liangxing Hu, Mingjin Dai, Fakun Wang, Fangyuan Sun, Song Zhu, Lianhe Li, Alexander Giles Davies, Edmund Harold Linfield, Chuan Seng Tan, Yuri Kivshar, Qi Jie Wang
Summary: One of the most exciting breakthroughs in physics is the introduction of topology to photonics, demonstrated by the recently developed topological lasers. This study focuses on the topological bulk quantum cascade laser (QCL) operating in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. The experiment successfully miniaturized the THz QCL and achieved single-mode lasing with high side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR), indicating potential applications in imaging, sensing, and communications.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Zhao Li, Qingyang Du, Chaopeng Wang, Jinhai Zou, Tuanjie Du, Kathleen A. Richardson, Zhiping Cai, Juejun Hu, Zhengqian Luo
Summary: This work presents the first experimental demonstration of an externally pumped on-chip ultrafast soliton laser source based on Raman soliton self-frequency shift. The source, using Ge28Sb12Se60 chalcogenide glass waveguides, achieves continuous wavelength tunability with high signal-to-noise ratios, significantly improving energy efficiency and demonstrating excellent spectral purity and stability. These results provide insights into soliton dynamics and critical device design guidelines, enabling a new class of broadly tunable, energy-efficient, compact, and potentially cost-effective on-chip ultrafast laser sources.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Masahiro Nakadai, Takashi Asano, Susumu Noda
Summary: Optical buffer memories are suitable for low-latency and low-energy consumption optical networks, with photonic-crystal nanocavities potentially serving as core components. Researchers demonstrate the electrical control of a coupled ultrahigh-quality-factor nanocavity system on a silicon chip, achieving a transfer efficiency of 76% and a cavity photon lifetime of 1.3 ns after transfer.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seungmin Nam, Dahee Wang, Chaehyun Kwon, Sang Hyun Han, Su Seok Choi
Summary: Structural color can be produced by nanoperiodic dielectric structures using soft materials, and stretchable chiral photonic elastomers (CPEs) can self-organize into a helical nanostructure, with the chiral nanostructural color controlled by stretching. This study presents stretchable CPEs with simultaneous multicolor control, including electrical control, and demonstrates various device applications such as multiarrayed color binning and chameleon-like photonic e-skin. The ability to control the separation of biomimetic multicolors in stretchable photonic systems improves the functionality of potential photonic applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
YongWei Huang, Likun Shi, Jun Li, WenKai Lou, HuiHong Yuan, Wen Yang, Kai Chang
Summary: Topological insulator quantum dots have energy level separation in the terahertz range and can be operated as an electrically pumped continuous-wave terahertz laser. The device can operate at room temperature with power exceeding 10 mW and quantum efficiency reaching around 50%. This study may promote the usage of topological insulator quantum dots as an important source of terahertz radiation.
SCIENCE CHINA-PHYSICS MECHANICS & ASTRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Suraj P. Khanna, Satish Singh, C. K. Suman, Nandan Kumar, Alok Dabi
Summary: Multilevel non-volatile resistive switching behavior is observed in electronic textile, displaying write-once-read-many (WORM) memory behavior and allowing conduction modulation using a remote current-bias write/input stimulus. Anisotropic current spreading in the textile can be utilized for selective memory writing and emulating neuron-like behavior. The textile also exhibits the reset WORM or ReWORM effect.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Laurent Boulley, Thomas Maroutian, Paul Goulain, Andrey Babichev, Anton Egorov, Lianhe Li, Edmund Linfield, Raffaele Colombelli, Adel Bousseksou
Summary: We demonstrate low temperature deposition conditions for VO2 phase change material that are compatible with III-V semiconductors used in optoelectronic applications. The VO2 coated thin films grown on GaAs exhibit a 50% change in optical reflectivity and a significant variation in electric conductivity between insulating and metallic states. We also study the functionalization of mid-infrared QCLs with VO2 layers to engineer their laser emission properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessandra Di Gaspare, Valentino Pistore, Elisa Riccardi, Eva A. A. Pogna, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Lianhe Li, Alexander Giles Davies, Edmund H. Linfield, Andrea C. Ferrari, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: This study demonstrates mode-locking in surface-emitting electrically pumped random quantum cascade lasers at terahertz frequencies by exploiting the giant third-order nonlinearity of semiconductor heterostructure lasers and the nonlinear properties of graphene. Self-induced phase-coherence between naturally incoherent random modes and phase-locked random modes are achieved using lithographically patterning a multilayer graphene film or coupling a saturable absorber graphene reflector. This milestone in the physics of disordered systems paves the way for miniaturized, electrically pumped mode-locked light sources for various applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Leonardo Viti, Elisa Riccardi, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: The on-chip integration of two-dimensional nanomaterials with terahertz quantum cascade lasers has led to wide spectral tuning, nonlinear high-harmonic generation, and pulse generation. In this study, a large area multilayer graphene (MLG) was transferred to a THz QCL to monitor its local lattice temperature during operation. The MLG's temperature dependence of electrical resistance was used to measure the local heating of the QCL chip. The results were validated through photoluminescence experiments. This integrated system provides a fast temperature sensor for THz QCLs and enables full electrical and thermal control on laser operation.
Article
Physics, Applied
C. Song, M. Salih, L. H. Li, J. Mangeney, J. Tignon, A. G. Davies, E. H. Linfield, S. Dhillon
Summary: By using thin metallic side-absorbers, researchers have successfully suppressed higher-order transverse modes in Terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs), allowing the lasers to operate solely on the fundamental transverse mode without sacrificing high power outputs. This breakthrough opens up opportunities for investigating nonlinear THz physical phenomena using THz QCLs as pump sources.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Letter
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daisy Q. Wang, Zeb Krix, Oleg P. Sushkov, Ian Farrer, David A. . Ritchie, Alexander R. . Hamilton, Oleh Klochan
Summary: By imposing an external periodic electrostatic potential, the electronic properties of the confined electrons in a quantum well can be different from those in the host semiconductor. In this study, we fabricated and investigated a tunable triangular artificial lattice on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure, where the band structure and Fermi surface can be transformed by altering a gate bias. Magnetotransport measurements revealed multiple quantum oscillations and commensurability oscillations due to electron scattering from the artificial lattice. Increasing the modulation strength revealed new commensurability oscillations caused by electron scattering from the artificial Fermi surface and triangular lattice. These results demonstrate the ability to form artificial two-dimensional crystals with designer electronic properties using low disorder gate-tunable lateral superlattices.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
J. D. Fletcher, W. Park, S. Ryu, P. See, J. P. Griffiths, G. A. C. Jones, I. Farrer, D. A. Ritchie, H. -s. Sim, M. Kataoka
Summary: Coulomb forces between high-energy electrons in unscreened regime are detected and analysed using a mesoscopic electron collider. The ability to control Coulomb interactions on picosecond time scales is crucial for quantum logic devices with flying electrons. Despite previous findings, our study reveals Coulomb-dominated collisions of high-energy single electrons in counter-propagating ballistic edge states, indicating new ways to utilize Coulomb interactions for high-speed sensing or gate operations on flying electron qubits.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Elisa Riccardi, Valentino Pistore, Seonggil Kang, Lukas Seitner, Anna De Vetter, Christian Jirauschek, Juliette Mangeney, Lianhe Li, A. Giles Davies, Edmund H. Linfield, Andrea C. Ferrari, Sukhdeep S. Dhillon, Miriam S. Vitiello
Summary: By using multilayer graphene saturable absorbers, we have successfully demonstrated a self-starting miniaturized short pulse terahertz laser, which utilizes an original device architecture with surface patterning in the entire cavity of a double-metal semiconductor 2.30-3.55 THz wire laser. This compact, all-electronic, all-passive, and inexpensive configuration achieves self-starting pulsed emission with 4.0 ps-long pulses.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
C. P. Dobney, A. Nasir, P. See, C. J. B. Ford, J. P. Griffiths, C. Chen, D. A. Ritchie, M. Kataoka
Summary: We have fabricated a device with two lateral p-n junctions on an n-type GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As heterostructure. The n-type material was converted to p-type by removing dopants and applying a voltage to a gate in this region. Controlled electroluminescence from both p-n junctions was demonstrated by varying the applied bias voltages. The emitted spectrum peak width was approximately 8 units.
SEMICONDUCTOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Khushboo Singh, Aparajita Bandyopadhyay, Karl Bertling, Yah Leng Lim, Tim Gillespie, Dragan Indjin, Lianhe Li, Edmund H. Linfield, A. Giles Davies, Paul Dean, Aleksandar D. Rakic, Amartya Sengupta
Summary: In order to reduce water consumption in agriculture, photonics-based hydration sensing technology has been widely used for non-contact, non-invasive mapping of liquid water in plants. In this study, terahertz (THz) range sensing techniques were employed to map liquid water in leaves of Bambusa vulgaris and Celtis sinensis. Two complementary techniques, THz time-domain spectroscopic imaging and THz quantum cascade laser-based imaging, were utilized. The results provide detailed spatial and temporal information about hydration dynamics and dehydration effects on leaf structure.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Paul Goulain, Chris Deimert, Mathieu Jeannin, Stefano Pirotta, Wojciech Julian Pasek, Zbigniew Wasilewski, Raffaele Colombelli, Jean-Michel Manceau
Summary: Continuously graded parabolic quantum wells are used to overcome the limitations of square quantum wells at terahertz frequencies. Microcavity intersubband polaritons are formed at frequencies as low as 1.8 THz, with ultra-strong coupling sustained up to 200 K. The use of sub-wavelength resonators preserves the ultra-strong coupling regime, making it a potential approach for generating non-classical light.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
L. Liu, Y. Gul, S. N. Holmes, C. Chen, I. Farrer, D. A. Ritchie, M. Pepper
Summary: In this study, we systematically investigate a structure found in In0.75Ga0.25As heterostructures, and observe its stability and anisotropy in high magnetic fields. This research is important for understanding low-dimensional electronic systems with strong spin-orbit coupling.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Abdullah M. Zaman, Yuezhen Lu, Nikita W. Almond, Oliver J. Burton, Jack Alexander-Webber, Stephan Hofmann, Thomas Mitchell, Jonathan D. P. Griffiths, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Riccardo Degl'Innocenti
Summary: The study investigates the polarization modulation performance of an integrated metamaterial/graphene device in the THz band. By modifying the graphene's Fermi level, the device's optical response can be modified, enabling active tuning of ellipticity and continuous modification of optical activity. Active circular dichroism and optical activity can be independently exploited by carefully selecting the transmitted frequency and relative angle between the incoming linear polarization and the device's symmetry axis. This all-electronically tuneable versatile polarization device has potential applications in polarization spectroscopy, imaging, and THz wireless generation.
FRONTIERS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
P. M. T. Vianez, Y. Jin, W. K. Tan, Q. Liu, J. P. Griffiths, I. Farrer, D. A. Ritchie, O. Tsyplyatyev, C. J. B. Ford
Summary: Determining the bare electron mass (m0) in crystals is challenging due to many-body effects. By using a one-dimensional geometry, the interaction effects can be separated from m0, and the measured value is (0.0525 +/- 0.0015)me in GaAs. The value of m0 remains constant with varying density, and it is approximately 22% lighter than observed in higher-dimensional GaAs structures, consistent with the quasiparticle picture of a Fermi liquid.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
M. J. Rendell, S. D. Liles, A. Srinivasan, O. Klochan, I. Farrer, D. A. Ritchie, A. R. Hamilton
Summary: In two-dimensional systems with a spin-orbit interaction, magnetic focusing is utilized to separate particles with different spins spatially. We conducted measurements on hole magnetic focusing under two different magnitudes of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. We discovered that the attenuation of a focusing peak, conventionally linked to a change in spin polarization, is actually caused by a change in the scattering of a spin state in hole systems with a k3 spin-orbit interaction. Additionally, we found that the change in scattering length determined through magnetic focusing is consistent with the results obtained from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations measurements.