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This study examines the lasing performance of optically pumped wurtzite‐phase InP nanowire (NW) photonic crystal surface‐emitting lasers (PCSELs) with the goal of optimizing the cavity design for low‐threshold lasing. By varying the photonic crystal lattice constant and NW diameter, this study systematically investigates the threshold power and the threshold gain. Using finite‐difference time‐domain simulations and gain spectra modeling, this study finds that the lowest pump threshold occurs when the cavity resonance energy is slightly above the spontaneous emission maximum energy due to high differential gain. Furthermore, PCSEL structures with an apothem‐to‐pitch ratio of ≈0.15 are advantageous because they provide increased confinement factors, resulting in the lowest lasing threshold and high laser output. This study paves the path toward low‐threshold NW PCSEL designs for photonic integrated circuits. 

Abstract In this work, we demonstrate optically pumped lasing in highly Zn-doped GaAs nanowires (NWs) lying on an iron film. The conically shaped NWs are first covered with an 8 nm thick Al₂O₃film to prevent atmospheric oxidation and mitigate band-bending effects. Multimode and single-mode lasing have been observed for NWs with a length greater or smaller than 2μm, respectively. Finite difference time domain calculations reveal a weak electric field enhancement in the Al₂O₃layer at the NW/iron film interface for the lasing modes. The high Zn acceptor concentration in the NWs provides enhanced radiative efficiency and enables lasing on the iron film despite plasmonic losses. Our results open avenues for integrating NW lasers on ferromagnetic substrates to achieve new functionalities, such as magnetic field-induced modulation. 

We demonstrate unique reflective properties of light from bare and gold-coated InP nanowire (NW) photonic crystal arrays. The undoped wurtzite InP nanowire arrays are grown by selective area epitaxy and coated with a 12-nm thick Al₂O₃film to suppress atmospheric oxidation. A nominally 10-nm thick gold film is deposited around the NWs to investigate plasmonic effects. The reflectance spectra show pronounced Fabry-Perot oscillations, which are shifted for p- and s-polarized light due to a strong intrinsic birefringence in the NW arrays. Gold-coating of the NW array leads to a significant increase of the reflectance by a factor of two to three compared to the uncoated array, which is partially attributed to a plasmon resonance of the gold caps on top of the NWs and to a plasmonic antenna effect for p-polarized light. These interpretations are supported by finite-difference-time-domain simulations. Our experiments and simulations indicate that NW arrays can be used to design micrometer-sized polarizers, analyzers, and mirrors which are important optical elements in optoelectronic integrated circuits. 

Abstract Optically pumped lasing from highly Zn-doped GaAs nanowires lying on an Au film substrate and from Au-coated nanowires has been demonstrated up to room temperature. The conically shaped GaAs nanowires were first coated with a 5 nm thick Al 2 O 3 shell to suppress atmospheric oxidation and band-bending effects. Doping with a high Zn concentration increases both the radiative efficiency and the material gain and leads to lasing up to room temperature. A detailed analysis of the observed lasing behavior, using finite-difference time domain simulations, reveals that the lasing occurs from low loss hybrid modes with predominately photonic character combined with electric field enhancement effects. Achieving low loss lasing from NWs on an Au film and from Au coated nanowires opens new prospects for on-chip integration of nanolasers with new functionalities including electro-optical modulation, conductive shielding, and polarization control. 

Abstract 2D photonic crystal (PhC) lasing from an InP nanowire array still attached to the InP substrate is demonstrated for the first time. The undoped wurtzite InP nanowire array is grown by selective area epitaxy and coated with a 10 nm thick Al₂O₃film to suppress atmospheric oxidation and band‐bending effects. The PhC array displays optically pumped lasing at room temperature at a pulsed threshold fluence of 14 µJ cm⁻². At liquid nitrogen temperature, the array shows lasing under continuous wave excitation at a threshold intensity of 500 W cm⁻². The output power of the single mode laser line reaches values of 470 µW. Rate equation calculations indicate a quality factor ofQ ≈ 1000. Investigations near threshold reveal that lasing starts from isolated islands within the pumped region before coherently merging into a single homogeneous area with increasing excitation power. This field emits a lasing mode with an average off‐normal angle of ≈6°. Single mode lasing with the nanoarray still attached to the InP substrate opens new design opportunities for electrically pumped PhC laser light sources.