Multimode resonances in metallically confined square-resonator microlasers

Directional emission InP/AlGaInAs square-resonator microlasers with a side length of 20 mu m are fabricated by standard photolithography and inductively coupled-plasma etching technique. Multimode resonances with about seven distinct mode peaks in a free-spectral range are observed from 1460 to 1560 nm with the free-spectral range of 12.1 nm near the wavelength of 1510 nm, and the mode refractive index versus the photon energy E (eV) as 3.07152+0.18304E are obtained by fitting the laser spectra with an analytical mode wavelength formula derived by light ray method. In addition, mode field pattern is simulated for cold cavity by two dimensional finite-difference time-domain technique.

Two-port InGaAsP/InP square resonator microlasers

Two-port InGaAsP/InP square resonator microlasers with a side length of 20 mm have been fabricated by the planar technology process, which have two 1 mu m-wide output ports connected to the vertices of the square resonator. Continuous-wave electrically injected microsquare lasers have been realised at room temperature with mode Q-factors of 1.75 x 10(4) at the threshold current.

Directional emission InP/GaInAsP square-resonator microlasers

InP/GaInAsP square-resonator microlasers with an output waveguide connected to the midpoint of one side of the square are fabricated by standard photolithography and inductively-coupled-plasma etching technique. For a 20-mu m-side square microlaser with a 2-mu m-wide output waveguide, cw threshold current is 11 mA at room temperature, and the highest mode Q factor is 1.0 X 10(4) measured from the mode linewidth at the injection current of 10 mA. Multimode oscillation is observed with the lasing mode wavelength 1546 nm and the side-mode suppression ratio of 20 dB at the injection current of 15 mA. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America

Equilateral-Triangle and Square Resonator Semiconductor Microlasers

The characteristics of equilateral-triangle resonator (ETR) and square resonator microlasers are reported, which are potential light sources in the photonic integrations. Based on the numerical simulations, we find that high-efficiency directional emission can be achieved for the triangle and square microlasers by directly connecting an output waveguide to the resonators. The electrically injected InP/InGaAsP ETR and square resonator microlasers with a 2-mu m-wide output waveguide were fabricated by standard photolithography and inductively coupled plasma etching techniques. Room-temperature continuous-wave (CW) operations were achieved for the ETR microlasers with the side length from 10 to 30 mu m and the square resonator microlasers with the side length of 20 mu m. The output power versus CW injection current and the laser spectra are presented for an ETR microlaser up to 310 K and a square resonator microlaser to 305 K. The lasing spectra with mode wavelength intervals as that of whispering-gallery-type modes and Fabry-Perot modes are observed for two square lasers, which can lase at low temperature and room temperature, respectively.

Analysis of directional emission in square resonator lasers with an output waveguide

Square microcavity laser with an output waveguide is proposed and analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. For a square resonator with refractive index of 3.2, side length of 4 microns, and output waveguide of 0.4-micron width, we have got the quality factors (Q factors) of 6.7×10~2 and 7.3×10~3 for the fundamental and first-order transverse magnetic (TM) mode near the wavelength of 1.5 microns, respectively. The simulated intensity distribution for the first-order TM mode shows that the coupling efficiency in the waveguide reaches 53%. The numerical simulation shows that the first-order transverse modes have fairly high Q factor and high coupling efficiency to the output waveguide. Therefore the square resonator with an output waveguide is a promising candidate to realize single-mode directional emission microcavity lasers.

Mode Characteristics for Square Resonators With a Metal Confinement Layer

Microsquare resonators laterally confined by SiO2/Au/air multilayer structure are investigated by light ray method with reflection phase-shift of the multiple layers and two-dimensional (2-D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. The reflectivity and phase shift of the mode light ray on the sides of the square resonator with the semiconductor/SiO2/Au/air multilayer structure are calculated for TE and TM modes by transfer matrix method. Based on the reflection phase shift and the reflectivity, the mode wavelength and factor are calculated by the resonant condition and the mirror loss, which are in agreement well with that obtained by the FDTD simulation. We find that the mode factor increases greatly with the increase of the SiO2 layer thickness, especially as d < 0.3 mu m. For the square resonator with side length 2 mu m and refractive index 3.2, anticrossing mode couplings are found for confined TE modes at wavelength about 1.6 mu m at d = 0.11 mu m, and confined TM modes at d = 0.71 mu m, respectively.

Analysis of modes in a freestanding microsquare resonator by 3-D finite-difference time-domain

Modes in a microsquare resonator slab with strong vertical waveguide consisting of air/semiconductor/air are analyzed by three-dimensional (3-D) finite-difference time-domain simulation, and compared with that of two-dimensional (2-D) simulation under effective index approximation. Mode frequencies and field distributions inside the resonator obtained by the 3-D simulation are in good agreement with those of the 2-D approximation. However, field distributions at the boundary of the resonator obtained by 3-D simulation are different from that of the 2-D simulation, especially the vertical field distribution near the boundary is great different from that of the slab waveguide, which is used in the effective index approximation. Furthermore the quality factors obtained by 3-D simulation are much larger. than that by 2-D simulation for the square resonator slab with the strong vertical waveguide.

Finite-difference time-domain analysis of deformed square cavity filters with a traveling-wave-like filtering response by mode coupling

An add-drop filter based on a perfect square resonator can realize a maximum of only 25% power dropping because the confined modes are standing-wave modes. By means of mode coupling between two modes with inverse symmetry properties, a traveling-wave-like filtering response is obtained in a two-dimensional single square cavity filter with cut or circular corners by finite-difference time-domain simulation. The optimized deformation parameters for an add-drop filter can be accurately predicted as the overlapping point of the two coupling modes in an isolated deformed square cavity. More than 80% power dropping can be obtained in a deformed square cavity filter with a side length of 3.01 mu m. The free spectral region is decided by the mode spacing between modes, with the sum of the mode indices differing by 1. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.

Analysis of output coupling efficiencies for directional emission triangle and square microlasers

Output coupling efficiencies are analyzed for triangular and square microlasers connected with an output waveguide by FDTD simulation. The results show that square resonator with an output waveguide connected to the midpoint of one side can have high output coupling efficiency and a good mode selection.

InGaAsP-InP Square Microlasers With a Vertex Output Waveguide

InGaAsP-InP square microlasers with a vertex output waveguide are fabricated by planar processes, and the etched sidewalls of the lasers are confined by insulating layer SiO2 and p-electrode TiAu metals. For a square microlaser with a side length of 30 mu m and a 2-mu m-wide output waveguide, a continuous-wave threshold current is 26 mA at room temperature and output power is 0.72 mW at 86 mA. The mode interval of 21 and 7.4 nm is observed for the microlasers with the side length of 10 and 30 mu m, respectively. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations indicate that the lasing modes have incident angles of about 45 degrees at the boundaries of the resonator. In addition, square resonators surrounded by air, SiO2-Ti-Au, and SiO2-Au are compared by FDTD simulations.

Analysis of mode characteristics for equilateral-polygonal resonators with a center hole

Mode characteristics for equilateral triangles, squares, and hexagonal resonators with a center hole are numerically simulated by the finite-different time domain (FDTD) technique. The center hole does not break the symmetry behavior of the original resonators and can result in modification of the mode field patterns and mode Q factors. In an equilateral triangle resonator the center hole can suppress the symmetry state of degenerate states with the merit of single mode operation. In a square resonator, the Q factor can be enhanced for some modes with a suitable size of the hole. For a hexagonal resonator with a side length of 1 mu m and a refractive index of 3.2, the mode Q factors first gradually decrease with the increase of the hole diameter for modes at a wavelength of about 1500 nm, then the modes transform to that of a microdisk with a jump of the mode wavelength as the hole diameter approaches 0.7 mu m. Finally, the mode Q factors greatly enhance as the hole diameter reaches about 1 mu m. The results indicate that the center hole can greatly modify mode characteristics, especially that of the mode Q factor. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America

Low loss HF band SOI wine glass bulk mode capacitive square-plate resonator

This paper reports on the design and electrical characterization of a single crystal silicon micromechanical square-plate resonator. The microresonator has been excited in the anti-symmetrical wine glass mode at a resonant frequency of 5.166 MHz and exhibits an impressive quality factor (Q) of 3.7 × 106 at a pressure of 33 mtorr. The device has been fabricated in a commercial foundry process. An associated motional resistance of approximately 50 kΩ using a dc bias voltage of 60 V is measured for a transduction gap of 2 νm due to the ultra-high Q of the resonator. This result corresponds to a frequency-Q product of 1.9 × 1013, the highest reported for a fundamental mode single-crystal silicon resonator and on par with some of the best quartz crystal resonators. The results are indicative of the superior performance of silicon as a mechanical material, and show that the wine glass resonant mode is beneficial for achieving high quality factors allowed by the material limit. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Square wine glass mode resonator with quality factor of 4 million

We report on the experimental characterization of a single crystal silicon square-plate microresonator. The resonator is excited in the square wine glass (SWG) mode at a mechanical resonance frequency of 2.065 MHz. The resonator displays quality factor of 9660 in air and an ultra-high quality factor of Q = 4.05 × 106 in 12 mtorr vacuum. The SWG mode may be described as a square plate that contracts along one axis in the fabrication plane, while simultaneously extending along an orthogonal axis in the same plane. The resonant structure is addressed in a 2-terminal configuration by utilizing equal and opposite drive polarities on surrounding capacitor electrodes, thereby decreasing the motional resistance of the resonator. The resonant micromechanical device has been fabricated in a commercial silicon-on-insulator process through the MEMSCAP foundry utilising a minimum electrostatic gap of 2 μm. © 2008 IEEE.