Surface-emitting lasers for communications: novel metal-cavity microlasers and high-contrast-grating tunable VCSELs

A comprehensive study of the theory and experiments of surface-emitting semiconductor lasers is presented. The design of novel micro and nanolasers using metal cavities for optical confinement is discussed. Theoretical modeling of quantum-well and quantum-dot emission properties, as well as experimental characterization of their coupling with optical cavities, are presented. Lasing behavior of our designed and fabricated devices is demonstrated at room temperature under continuous-wave and pulsed electrical injection with 3-μm and 1-μm cavity diameters, respectively. This work provides the research path toward dense-integrable power-efficient on-chip light sources. Surface-emitting tunable lasers for high-speed, long-haul communication are investigated. Novel laser designs using micro-electro-mechanical system controlled high-contrast gratings as tunable mirrors are presented. Rigorous, accurate, and efficient electromagnetic models for high-contrast gratings are developed. Our model enables us to design high-contrast gratings as one-dimensional or two-dimensional metastructures integrable on surface-emitting lasers. A wide range of optical functionalities such as broadband reflection, high-Q resonance, filtering, beam-steering, focusing, beam-conversion, and generation of photon orbital angular momentum are achieved. Our optical model is integrated with our laser cavity model and the rate equation model to predict the temperature-dependent voltage tunable light output intensity and spectra. Future design and experimental strategies for heterogeneously integrated tunable surface-emitting lasers are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Qiao, Pengfei

Contributors dc:contributor

• Chew, Weng Cho
• Dallesasse, John
• Wasserman, Daniel M.
• Cunningham, Brian T.

• Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
• Nanolasers
• Nano-cavities
• Quantum dots
• High-contrast gratings
• Tunable lasers
• Micro-electro-mechanical systems
• Subwavelength structures
• Optical vortices

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Pengfei Qiao

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78730

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/78730