1
|
Brechbühler R, Vonk SJW, Aellen M, Lassaline N, Keitel RC, Cocina A, Rossinelli AA, Rabouw FT, Norris DJ. Compact Plasmonic Distributed-Feedback Lasers as Dark Sources of Surface Plasmon Polaritons. ACS NANO 2021; 15:9935-9944. [PMID: 34029074 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c01338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plasmonic modes in optical cavities can be amplified through stimulated emission. Using this effect, plasmonic lasers can potentially provide chip-integrated sources of coherent surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). However, while plasmonic lasers have been experimentally demonstrated, they have not generated propagating plasmons as their primary output signal. Instead, plasmonic lasers typically involve significant emission of free-space photons that are intentionally outcoupled from the cavity by Bragg diffraction or that leak from reflector edges due to uncontrolled scattering. Here, we report a simple cavity design that allows for straightforward extraction of the lasing mode as SPPs while minimizing photon leakage. We achieve plasmonic lasing in 10-μm-long distributed-feedback cavities consisting of a Ag surface periodically patterned with ridges coated by a thin layer of colloidal semiconductor nanoplatelets as the gain material. The diffraction to free-space photons from cavities designed with second-order feedback allows a direct experimental examination of the lasing-mode profile in real- and momentum-space, in good agreement with coupled-wave theory. In contrast, we demonstrate that first-order-feedback cavities remain "dark" above the lasing threshold and the output signal leaves the cavity as propagating SPPs, highlighting the potential of such lasers as on-chip sources of plasmons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Brechbühler
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sander J W Vonk
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne Aellen
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nolan Lassaline
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert C Keitel
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ario Cocina
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aurelio A Rossinelli
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Freddy T Rabouw
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David J Norris
- Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
A Review of Three-Dimensional Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (3D-SNOM) and Its Applications in Nanoscale Light Management. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/app7100973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
3
|
Chiang PJ, Chang SW. Design of metal-dielectric grating lasers only supporting surface-wave-like modes. OPTICS EXPRESS 2014; 22:27845-27858. [PMID: 25402027 DOI: 10.1364/oe.22.027845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We present a prototype of semiconductor lasers with plasmonic periodic structures that only support transverse-magnetic modes at telecommunication wavelengths. The structure does not sustain transverse-electric guided modes which are irrelevant to surface-wave-enhanced applications, and lasing modes must be surface-wave-like. With thin low-index dielectric buffers near the metal surface, the threshold gain is kept at a decent level around the photonic band edge. Thin windows are then opened on the metal surface to let out significant surface fields. This facilitates usages of surface waves for the spectroscopy and sensing.
Collapse
|
4
|
Kohlgraf-Owens DC, Greusard L, Sukhov S, Wilde YD, Dogariu A. Multi-frequency near-field scanning optical microscopy. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 25:035203. [PMID: 24346240 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/3/035203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a new multi-frequency approach for mapping near-field optically induced forces with subwavelength spatial resolution. The concept relies on oscillating a scanning probe at two different frequencies. Oscillations at one frequency are driven electrically to provide positional feedback regulation. Modulations at another frequency are induced optically and are used to measure the mechanical action of the optical field on the probe. Because the measurement is based on locally detecting the force of the electromagnetic radiation acting on the probe, the new method does not require a photodetector to map the radiation distribution and, therefore, can provide true broadband detection of light with a single probe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana C Kohlgraf-Owens
- CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Greusard L, Costantini D, Bousseksou A, Decobert J, Lelarge F, Duan GH, De Wilde Y, Colombelli R. Near-field analysis of metallic DFB lasers at telecom wavelengths. OPTICS EXPRESS 2013; 21:10422-10429. [PMID: 23669898 DOI: 10.1364/oe.21.010422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We image in near-field the transverse modes of semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating at λ ≈ 1.3 μm and employing metallic gratings. The active region is based on tensile-strained InGaAlAs quantum wells emitting transverse magnetic polarized light and is coupled via an extremely thin cladding to a nano-patterned gold grating integrated on the device surface. Single mode emission is achieved, which tunes with the grating periodicity. The near-field measurements confirm laser operation on the fundamental transverse mode. Furthermore--together with a laser threshold reduction observed in the DFB lasers--it suggests that the patterning of the top metal contact can be a strategy to reduce the high plasmonic losses in this kind of systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Greusard
- Institut Langevin, CNRS UMR7587, 1, rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|