Compound Semiconductor Based Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Light Sources

摘要

Two-dimensional photonic crystals (PC) have emerged as promising building blocks for integrated optics systems. Photonic crystal devices exploit defects, in an otherwise periodic lattice designed to exhibit a wide photonic bandgap (PBG), to form resonant microcavities or optical waveguides. The property of PC microcavities to enhance the source radiation into a desired mode while inhibiting other modes is particularly appealing for development of ultra- low threshold, single-mode lasers. In this final report we describe our work on the realization of photonic crystal vertically emitting microcavity light sources with electrical injection; edge emitting light sources integrated with PC-based waveguides; and PC-based resonant cavity photodiodes. We have realized the devices with GaAs- and lnP-based QW and QD heterostructures. We also present a theoretical investigation of the spontaneous emission characteristics of an ensemble of self-organized lnAs/GaAs QDs enclosed in the PC microcavity using guided modes as desired cavity modes. Combined with the molecular beam epitaxy and technology of self-organized QDs, photonic crystals can be further utilized to study single-dot lasing or for the observation of cavity electrodynamics (CQED) phenomena in semiconductor systems.