Electrical modulation of a photonic crystal band-edge laser with a graphene monolayer

Abstract

The electrical control of photonic crystal (PhC) lasers has been an attractive but challenging issue. Laser operation by electrical injection is of key importance for the viability and applicability of the PhC lasers. Another key factor is the electrical modulation of the laser output. The Fermi level of a graphene monolayer can be controlled by electrical gating, which adjusts its optical absorption. In this study, a graphene monolayer sheet is integrated on top of a two-dimensional PhC structure composed of InGaAsP multiple-quantum-wells (MQWs) in order to demonstrate the electrical modulation of a high-power (microwatt-scale) PhC band-edge laser. The introduced dielectric spacer layer presets the delicate balance between the optical gain from the MQWs and optical loss at the graphene monolayer. The proposed device is covered by an ion-gel film, which enables a low-voltage laser modulation at |Vg|≤1 V. The modulation is extensively investigated experimentally, and the obtained results are confirmed by performing numerical simulations.

Lasing at Multidimensional Topological States in a Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Structure

“…All the spectra were obtained at excitation power levels above the lasing thresholds, resulting in sharp stimulated emission peaks from the corresponding topological eigenstates. The bulk exhibits a single-mode lasing action despite the absence of active optical confinement, a characteristic of PhC band-edge laser. , However, it is worth noting that the bulk state is finite and confined within the topologically nontrivial region, thus subject to a band inversion induced reflection at the topological boundaries . This in turn separates the energies of the bulk state (see Supporting Information).…”

Recent Progress in Nanolaser Technology

“…Most recently, atomically thin nanomaterials, such as monolayer graphene or transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC), and halide perovskites have been suggested for nanolasers. [ 132–136 ] Graphene is flexible and highly conductive, and TMDC exhibits strong luminescence. The halide perovskite not only exhibits excellent electronic and optical properties, but also has low manufacturing costs and broadband spectral tunability.…”

Printable Graphene–Insulator–Semiconductor (GIS) Heterostructures for Active Control of Infrared Q‐Switched Laser

“…The influence of the optical nonlinear properties can surmount the discrete nature of nonlinear absorption in normal bulk graphene. [ 17,20,21 ]…”

“…It is worth noting that the GIS device can achieve substantial modification of the optical absorption of graphene directly by tuning the Fermi level with an electrical signal. [ 17–20 ] For example, the all‐fiber graphene devices have been demonstrated a significant optical transmission change (>90%) with electrical gating. [ 21 ] Although the results are promising, gate‐controlled Q‐switched solid‐state lasers have not yet been realized due to the challenging of ultrathin functional layer and free space light's propagation.…”