Lasing in Sub-Micron Wide Vertical Cavity Microlasers by Picosecond Optical Pumping,

Abstract

Microcavity lasers potentially will have ultra-low thresholds in the uA range or even lower. We have begun to investigate lasing in GaAs/AlAs microresonators as small as -0.4 um wide (less than halt the free-space wavelength) and in various rectangular shapes. The smallest devices, approx. 0.4X0.4 um had the lowest threshold which was only 2 pJ incident. This low threshold, achieved despite -10 ps carrier lifetimes, an estimated 5 % absorption efficiency in the cavity spacer, and probably low coupling efficiency of the pump beam, is encouraging for the long range development of microcavity lasers.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 22, 1992
Accession Number
ADP007887

Entities

People

  • A. Scherer
  • B. Van Der Gaag
  • J. L. Jewell
  • J. P. Harbison
  • S. L. Mccall

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Couplings
  • Efficiency
  • Mechanisms (Engineering)
  • Optical Pumping
  • Optoelectronics
  • Picosecond Time
  • Pumping
  • Pumps

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster