Compact Plasmonic Distributed-Feedback Lasers as Dark Sources of Surface Plasmon Polaritons
- Raphael BrechbühlerRaphael BrechbühlerOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Raphael Brechbühler
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- Sander J. W. VonkSander J. W. VonkOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandDebye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The NetherlandsMore by Sander J. W. Vonk
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- Marianne AellenMarianne AellenOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Marianne Aellen
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- Nolan LassalineNolan LassalineOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Nolan Lassaline
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- Robert C. KeitelRobert C. KeitelOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Robert C. Keitel
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- Ario CocinaArio CocinaOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Ario Cocina
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- Aurelio A. RossinelliAurelio A. RossinelliOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by Aurelio A. Rossinelli
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- Freddy T. RabouwFreddy T. RabouwOptical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandDebye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The NetherlandsMore by Freddy T. Rabouw
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- David J. Norris*David J. Norris*Email: [email protected]Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMore by David J. Norris
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.
Cited By
This article is cited by 2 publications.
- Namyoung Ahn, Clément Livache, Valerio Pinchetti, Victor I. Klimov. Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystal Lasers and Laser Diodes. Chemical Reviews 2023, 123 (13) , 8251-8296. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00865
- Jaco J. Geuchies, Robbert Dijkhuizen, Marijn Koel, Gianluca Grimaldi, Indy du Fossé, Wiel H. Evers, Zeger Hens, Arjan J. Houtepen. Zero-Threshold Optical Gain in Electrochemically Doped Nanoplatelets and the Physics Behind It. ACS Nano 2022, 16 (11) , 18777-18788. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07519