Ultra-low-threshold Er:Yb sol-gel microlaser on silicon

Abstract

Ultra-low threshold lasers which operate in the telecommunications band and which can be integrated with other CMOS compatible elements have numerous applications in satellite communications, biochemical detection and optical computing. To achieve sub-mW lasing thresholds, it is necessary to optimize both the gain medium and the pump method. One of the most promising methods is to use rareearth ions in a co-or tri-dopant configuration, where the lasing of the primary dopant is enhanced by the secondary one, thus improving the efficiency of the overall system. Here, we demonstrate an Erbium:Ytterbium co-doped microcavity-based laser which is lithographically fabricated on a silicon substrate. The quality factor and pump threshold are experimentally determined for a series of erbium and ytterbium doping concentrations, verifying the inter-dependent relationship between the two dopants. The lasing threshold of the optimized device is 4.2 µW. 4746-4750 (2004). ©2009 Optical Society of America

Erbium‐doped integrated waveguide amplifiers and lasers

“…19a, and interferometric exposure and etching in Er-doped phosphate glass [42]. In a novel approach, miniature toroidal Er-doped and Er-, Yb-co-doped silica lasers have been realized [45,261], see Fig. 19b.…”

Strongly confined, low-threshold laser modes in organic semiconductor microgoblets

“…Whispering gallery mode (WGM) microcavities with high quality factors (Q factors) are promising candidates for realizing low-threshold lasers that can be integrated on chip, and have great potential for applications in sensing [1][2][3][4] and telecommunications [5,6]. Besides high optical transparency, polymers are favorable for laser device fabrication due to large scale (soft-)lithographic structuring techniques, low material costs and simple doping with a broad variety of gain media.…”

“…For this, gain materials can be directly integrated to the microcavity's material prior to the lithographic structuring. This is realized, e.g., in sol-gels doped with rareearth ions [1,10] or in polymers doped with dye molecules [11]. Alternatively, a gain medium can be deposited onto the cavity subsequent to the lithographic structuring, e.g., by spincoating [12][13][14] or sputtering [15].…”

The physics of extreme sensitivity in whispering gallery mode optical biosensors

“…In fact, the intense circulating powers achievable in WGM resonators have been used to create lasers by doping the dielectric with a gain medium. [31][32][33] An important category of nonlinear effects is optical limiting, which is often studied in chromophores 34,35 with respect to optical limiting switches and other photonic applications. 36,37 This phenomena is characterized by a significant deviation from linear absorption behavior with increasing irradiance.…”