Two‐dimensional microcavity lasers

Abstract

Advances in processing technology, such as quantum-well structures and dry-etching techniques, have made it possible to create new types of two-dimensional (2D) microcavity lasers which have 2D emission patterns of output laser light although conventional one-dimensional (1D) edge-emitting-type lasers have 1D emission. Two-dimensional microcavity lasers have given nice experimental stages for fundamental researches on wave chaos closely related to quantum chaos. New types of 2D microcavity lasers also can offer the important lasing characteristics of directionality and high-power output light, and they may well find applications in optical communications, integrated optical circuits, and optical sensors. Fundamental physics of 2D microcavity lasers has been reviewed from the viewpoint of classical and quantum chaos, and recently developed theoretical approaches have been introduced. In addition, nonlinear dynamics due to the interaction among wave-chaotic modes through the active lasing medium is explained. Applications of 2D microcavity lasers for directional emission with strong light confinement are introduced, as well as high-precision rotation sensors designed by using wave-chaotic properties.A resonant mode of a stadium-shaped cavity showing wave chaos.

Long-path formation in a deformed microdisk laser

“…From the viewpoint of dynamical billiard theory, the introduction of asymmetry generally accompanies the generation of raydynamical chaos [3]. Thorough theoretical and experimental investigations elucidated the relation between directional emission and ray-dynamical chaos [4][5][6].…”

Cavity-QED treatment of scattering-induced free-space excitation and collection in high-Qwhispering-gallery microcavities

“…For example, the external couplers are not convenient at low temperature chambers; for a higher-index-material resonator [12,13], its coupling with the tapered fiber is inefficient due to the phase mismatch. Alternatively, deformed cavities (also named as asymmetric resonant cavity, ARC) are proposed [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], because they allow high-efficiency freespace excitation and directional emission. Latest developments in ARC studies include Limacon-shaped cavity [31][32][33][34] and circular disk cavity with a linear [35] or point defect in it [36,37], but the emission divergence angles are still too broad.…”

Active control of emission directionality of semiconductor microdisk lasers

“…One way to generate directional emission is deforming the cavity shape to break the circular symmetry [3][4][5] . The deformation also enhances light leakage via evanescent tunneling and/or refraction out of the cavity, thus reducing Q.…”