High-efficiency laser oscillation of a microcavity laser excited by resonant optical pumping

Abstract

High-efficiency laser oscillations by means of resonant optical pumping were observed in a planar microcavity laser with a single quantum well active layer. The threshold excitation power density was 19 W/cm2, and the differential energy conversion efficiency was 14%. This high efficiency is attributed to the absorption enhancement effect in the microcavity. Output power saturation was also observed in the input–output curve when the excitation wavelength was close to the band-edge wavelength. This saturation is considered to result from the resonance wavelength varying with the excitation intensity.

Diameter-dependent optical losses in pillar microcavities

“…Circular pillarshaped cavity structures whose diameters ranged from 0.8 to 10 m were obtained. The cavities for the optical loss measurements have no active layer to avoid absorption loss, which is extremely enhanced in a microcavity, 10,11 whereas those for the lasing experiments have three 10-nm-thick In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As strained-layer quantum wells in the middle of the GaAs spacer layers, separated by 10-nm-thick GaAs barrier layers.…”