Telecom-Wavelength Bottom-up Nanobeam Lasers on Silicon-on-Insulator

Abstract

Semiconductor nanowire lasers are considered promising ultracompact and energy-efficient light sources in the field of nanophotonics. Although the integration of nanowire lasers onto silicon photonic platforms is an innovative path toward chip-scale optical communications and photonic integrated circuits, operating nanowire lasers at telecom-wavelengths remains challenging. Here, we report on InGaAs nanowire array lasers on a silicon-on-insulator platform operating up to 1440 nm at room temperature. Bottom-up photonic crystal nanobeam cavities are formed by growing nanowires as ordered arrays using selective-area epitaxy, and single-mode lasing by optical pumping is demonstrated. We also show that arrays of nanobeam lasers with individually tunable wavelengths can be integrated on a single chip by the simple adjustment of the lithographically defined growth pattern. These results exemplify a practical approach toward nanowire lasers for silicon photonics.

Room-temperature InP/InGaAs nano-ridge lasers grown on Si and emitting at telecom bands

“…We detect a clear knee behavior for both modes from the light-light (L-L) curves, and thresholds of 16.0 μJ∕cm 2 and 19.0 μJ∕cm 2 are deduced for the modes at 1492 nm and 1427 nm, respectively. Because of the longer length of the FP cavity and resultant higher light amplification per round-trip, the lasing thresholds of the InP/InGaAs nano-ridge laser are much lower than those of other III-V nano-lasers in the near-infrared range [4,5,10,12]. The lasing behavior is further attested by the clear S-shape of the L-L curves plotted in a log scale [see the inset of Fig.…”

“…Lasing operation at the O band (1260 to 1360 nm) has been demonstrated from InP/InGaAs distributed feedback nano-ridges, vertical free-standing InP/InGaAs nano-pillars, and InP/InAsP nanowires transferred onto a photonic crystal cavity [9][10][11]. Recently, room-temperature lasing up to the E band (1360 to 1460 nm) has been realized using InGaAs/InGaP photonic crystal nano-beam cavities [12]. Extending the lasing spectra to the S band (from 1460 to 1530 nm) and the C band (from 1530 to 1565 nm) could greatly improve the bandwidth density and circuit functionality of Si PICs.…”

“…We demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that the lasing wavelength can be adjusted over a wide band, from the 1300 nm band up to the 1500 nm band, by changing the excitation levels and the length of the nano-ridges. Compared with controlling the lasing wavelength via tuning the indium fraction of the InGaAs crystallized in several growth runs [4,12], tailoring the lasing wavelengths in multiple bands by altering the length of the nano-ridges with the same epi-structure formed in a single growth run betokens practical applications for Si photonics.…”

Room‐Temperature InGaAs Nanowire Array Band‐Edge Lasers on Patterned Silicon‐on‐Insulator Platforms

“…High‐temperature baking at 850 °C for 10 min in the reactor is carried out as an additional oxide etching step, and then the reactor temperature is decreased to 680 °C. GaAs seeds are first grown for 3 min in nanoholes by flowing TEGa of 8.78 × 10 −7 mol min −1 and TBAs of 7.93 × 10 −5 mol min −1 , which improves the vertical growth of InGaAs nanowires . Then, InGaAs nanowires are grown at 655 °C by flowing TEGa of 6.32 × 10 −7 mol min −1 , TMIn of 5.16 × 10 −7 mol min −1 and TBAs of 7.93 × 10 −5 mol min −1 for 13 min.…”

“…These nanowires are integrated on silicon grating structures of 220 nm‐thick silicon‐on‐insulator (SOI) substrates, which is a standard SOI thickness in photonic industries, and provides additional functionalities such as vertical confinement and waveguide coupling. Although lasing has been achieved from 2D nanowire arrays on planar SOI substrates and 1D nanowire arrays, experimental demonstration of 2D nanowire arrays on gratings is still yet to be achieved.…”