Semiconductor plasmonic lasers at submicron and nanometer scales exhibit many characteristics distinct from those of their conventional counterparts at micron scales. The differences originate from their small sizes and the presence of metal plasma surrounding the cavity. To design a laser of this type, features such as metal dispersion, optical energy confinement, and group velocity have to be taken into account properly. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive approach to the design and performance evaluation of plasmonic Fabry-Perot nanolasers. In particular, we show the proper procedure to obtain the key parameters, especially the quality factor and threshold gain, which are usually neglected in conventional semiconductor Fabry-Perot lasers but become important for nanolasers.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

1. C. Z. Ning, “Semiconductor nanolasers,” Phys. Status Solidi B 247, 774–788 (2010).
2. W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon subwavelength optics,” Nature 424, 824–830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. M. T. Hill, Y. S. Oei, B. Smalbrugge, Y. Zhu, T. de Vries, P. J. van Veldhoven, F. W. M. van Otten, T. J. Eijkemans, J. P. Turkiewicz, H. de Waardt, E. J. Geluk, S. H. Kwon, Y. H. Lee, R. Notzel, and M. K. Smit, “Lasing in metallic-coated nanocavities,” Nat. Photonics 1, 589–594 (2007). [CrossRef]
4. M. T. Hill, M. Marell, E. S. P. Leong, B. Smalbrugge, Y. Zhu, M. Sun, P. J. van Veldhoven, E. J. Geluk, F. Karouta, Y. S. Oei, R. Nötzel, C. Z. Ning, and M. K. Smit, “Lasing in metal-insulator-metal sub-wavelength plasmonic waveguides,” Opt. Express 17, 11107 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. C. Y. Lu, S. W. Chang, S. L. Chuang, T. D. Germann, and D. Bimberg, “Metal-cavity surface-emitting microlaser at room temperature,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 251101 (2010). [CrossRef]
6. S. W. Chang and S. L. Chuang, “Fundamental formulation for plasmonic nanolasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 45, 1004–1013 (2009). [CrossRef]
7. A. V. Maslov and C. Z. Ning, “Reflection of guided modes in a semiconductor nanowire laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 1237 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. A. V. Maslov and C. Z. Ning, “Size reduction of a semiconductor nanowire laser by using metal coating,” Proc. SPIE 6468, 64680I (2007). [CrossRef]
9. S. W. Chang, C. Y. A. Ni, and S. L. Chuang, “Theory for bowtie plasmonic nanolasers,” Opt. Express 16, 10580–10595 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. P. B. Johnson and R. W. Christy, “Optical constants of the noble metals,” Phys. Rev. B 6, 4370–4379 (1972). [CrossRef]
11. A. Kapoor and G. S. Singh, “Mode classification in cylindrical dielectric waveguide,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18, 849 (2000). [CrossRef]
12. C. S. Lee, S. W. Lee, and S. L. Chuang, “Normal modes in an overmoded circular waveguide coated with lossy material,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 34, 773 (1986). [CrossRef]
13. T. D. Visser, H. Blok, B. Demeulenaere, and D. Lenstra, “Confinement factors and gain in optical amplifiers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 33, 1763–1766 (1997). [CrossRef]
14. S. Kohen, B. S. Williams, and Q. Hu, “Electromagnetic modeling of terahertz quantum cascade laser waveguides and resonators,” J. Appl. Phys. 97, 053106 (2005). [CrossRef]
15. COMSOL Inc, http://www.comsol.com.
16. C. Y. Lu, S. W. Chang, S. H. Yang, and S. L. Chuang, “Quantum-dot laser with a metal-coated waveguide under continuous-wave operation at room temperature,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 233507 (2009). [CrossRef]
17. S. W. Chang and S. L. Chuang, “Normal modes for plasmonic nanolasers with dispersive and inhomogeneous media,” Opt. Lett. 34, 91–93 (2009). [CrossRef]
18. M. Karl, B. Kettner, S. Burger, F. Schmidt, H. Kalt, and M. Hetterich, “Dependencies of micro-pillar cavity quality factors calculated with finite element methods,” Opt. Express 17, 1144 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. E. Yablonovitch, C. E. Zah, T. J. Gmitter, and M. A. Koza, “Nearly ideal InP/In0.53Ga0.47As heterojunction regrowth on chemically prepared In0.53Ga0.47As surfaces,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 371 (1992). [CrossRef]
20. Y. Zou, J. S. Osinski, P. Grodzinski, P. Dapkus, W. C. Rideout, W. F. Sharfin, J. Schlafer, and F. D. Crawford, “Experimental study of Auger recombination, gain, and temperature sensitivity of 1.5 μm compressively strained semiconductor lasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29, 1565–1575 (1993). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• C. Y. Lu, S. W. Chang, S. L. Chuang, T. D. Germann, and D. Bimberg, “Metal-cavity surface-emitting microlaser at room temperature,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 251101 (2010). [CrossRef]
• A. V. Maslov and C. Z. Ning, “Reflection of guided modes in a semiconductor nanowire laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 1237 (2003). [CrossRef]
• C. Y. Lu, S. W. Chang, S. H. Yang, and S. L. Chuang, “Quantum-dot laser with a metal-coated waveguide under continuous-wave operation at room temperature,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 233507 (2009). [CrossRef]
• E. Yablonovitch, C. E. Zah, T. J. Gmitter, and M. A. Koza, “Nearly ideal InP/In0.53Ga0.47As heterojunction regrowth on chemically prepared In0.53Ga0.47As surfaces,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 371 (1992). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• Y. Zou, J. S. Osinski, P. Grodzinski, P. Dapkus, W. C. Rideout, W. F. Sharfin, J. Schlafer, and F. D. Crawford, “Experimental study of Auger recombination, gain, and temperature sensitivity of 1.5 μm compressively strained semiconductor lasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29, 1565–1575 (1993). [CrossRef]
• T. D. Visser, H. Blok, B. Demeulenaere, and D. Lenstra, “Confinement factors and gain in optical amplifiers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 33, 1763–1766 (1997). [CrossRef]
• S. W. Chang and S. L. Chuang, “Fundamental formulation for plasmonic nanolasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 45, 1004–1013 (2009). [CrossRef]

IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech.

• C. S. Lee, S. W. Lee, and S. L. Chuang, “Normal modes in an overmoded circular waveguide coated with lossy material,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 34, 773 (1986). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• S. Kohen, B. S. Williams, and Q. Hu, “Electromagnetic modeling of terahertz quantum cascade laser waveguides and resonators,” J. Appl. Phys. 97, 053106 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. Kapoor and G. S. Singh, “Mode classification in cylindrical dielectric waveguide,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18, 849 (2000). [CrossRef]

Nat. Photonics

• M. T. Hill, Y. S. Oei, B. Smalbrugge, Y. Zhu, T. de Vries, P. J. van Veldhoven, F. W. M. van Otten, T. J. Eijkemans, J. P. Turkiewicz, H. de Waardt, E. J. Geluk, S. H. Kwon, Y. H. Lee, R. Notzel, and M. K. Smit, “Lasing in metallic-coated nanocavities,” Nat. Photonics 1, 589–594 (2007). [CrossRef]

Nature

• W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon subwavelength optics,” Nature 424, 824–830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• M. T. Hill, M. Marell, E. S. P. Leong, B. Smalbrugge, Y. Zhu, M. Sun, P. J. van Veldhoven, E. J. Geluk, F. Karouta, Y. S. Oei, R. Nötzel, C. Z. Ning, and M. K. Smit, “Lasing in metal-insulator-metal sub-wavelength plasmonic waveguides,” Opt. Express 17, 11107 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. W. Chang, C. Y. A. Ni, and S. L. Chuang, “Theory for bowtie plasmonic nanolasers,” Opt. Express 16, 10580–10595 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Karl, B. Kettner, S. Burger, F. Schmidt, H. Kalt, and M. Hetterich, “Dependencies of micro-pillar cavity quality factors calculated with finite element methods,” Opt. Express 17, 1144 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• S. W. Chang and S. L. Chuang, “Normal modes for plasmonic nanolasers with dispersive and inhomogeneous media,” Opt. Lett. 34, 91–93 (2009). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• P. B. Johnson and R. W. Christy, “Optical constants of the noble metals,” Phys. Rev. B 6, 4370–4379 (1972). [CrossRef]

Phys. Status Solidi B

• C. Z. Ning, “Semiconductor nanolasers,” Phys. Status Solidi B 247, 774–788 (2010).

Proc. SPIE

• A. V. Maslov and C. Z. Ning, “Size reduction of a semiconductor nanowire laser by using metal coating,” Proc. SPIE 6468, 64680I (2007). [CrossRef]

Other

• COMSOL Inc, http://www.comsol.com.

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