Room Temperature Lasing from Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Miniaturized near-infrared semiconductor lasers that are able to generate coherent light with low energy consumption have widespread applications in fields such as optical interconnects, neuromorphic computing, and deep-tissue optogenetics. With optical transitions at near-infrared wavelengths, diameter-tunable electronic structures, and superlative optoelectronic properties, semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are promising candidates for nanolaser applications. However, despite significant efforts in this direction and recent progress toward enhancing spontaneous emission from SWCNTs through Purcell effects, SWCNT-based excitonic lasers have not yet been demonstrated. Leveraging an optimized cavity-emitter integration scheme enabled by a self-assembly process, here we couple SWCNT emission to the whispering gallery modes supported by polymer microspheres, resulting in room temperature excitonic lasing with an average lasing threshold of 4.5 kW/cm2. The high photostability of SWCNTs allows stable lasing for prolonged duration with minimal degradation. This experimental realization of excitonic lasing from SWCNTs, combined with their versatile electronic and optical properties that can be further controlled by chemical modification, offers far-reaching opportunities for tunable near-infrared nanolasers that are applicable for optical signal processing, in vivo biosensing, and optoelectronic devices.

High Q Ultra‐Low Threshold Lasing in Conjugated Polymer Blend Microspheres Promoted by FRET

“…[7] It should be remarked here that attempts to fabricate microspheres from pure MEH-PPV in many cases resulted in large holey microspheres (Figure S6, Supporting Information) which did not exhibit Mie resonances in their PL spectra, an effect which we ascribe to high polymer molecular weight, in line with previous reports. [20,59] However, such resonances were finally observed upon adjustment of the fabrication parameters (see Figure S7, Supporting Information), albeit with significantly smaller Q values than microspheres produced from the blends or from pure F8BT.…”

Extreme Polarization Anisotropy in Resonant Third‐Harmonic Generation from Aligned Carbon Nanotube Films

“…However, anisotropic THG processes in a broadband spectral range in type-enriched CNTs, either semiconducting or metallic, have not been studied. Furthermore, interband optical processes in CNTs are strongly excitonic, [27][28][29] which not only enhances light emission [30,31] but also leads to strong lightmatter coupling. [29,32,33] Exciton resonances-S 11 and S 22 in semiconducting CNTs and M 11 in metallic CNTs-provide excellent platforms to enhance harmonic generation processes, similarly to 2D materials such as MoS 2 , [34,35] WS 2 , [36] WSe 2 , [37][38][39] and perovskites.…”

Conjugated wrapping polymer influences on photoexcitation of single-walled carbon nanotube-based thin film transistors

“…Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) combine desirable optical and electronic properties with outstanding mechanical strength, 1 making them uniquely suited for flexible photosensors integrated with textiles. 2 Recent photonic applications of SWNTs include single-photon emitters, 3,4 SWNT electroluminescence, 5 room temperature lasing, 6 infrared detectors, 7 and even diodes. 8 Many SWNT photonic applications require semiconductor purity.…”