169 research outputs found
Polarization properties in the transition from below to above lasing threshold in broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
For highly divergent emission of broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting
lasers (VCSELs) a rotation of the polarization direction by up to 90 degrees
occurs when the pump rate approaches the lasing threshold. Well below threshold
the polarization is parallel to the direction of the transverse wave vector and
is determined by the transmissive properties of the Bragg reflectors that form
the cavity mirrors. In contrast, near-threshold and above-threshold emission is
more affected by the reflective properties of the reflectors and is
predominantly perpendicular to the direction of transverse wave vectors. Two
qualitatively different types of polarization transition are demonstrated: an
abrupt transition, where the light polarization vanishes at the point of the
transition, and a smooth one, where it is significantly nonzero during the
transition
Spontaneous emission from large quantum dots in nanostructures: exciton-photon interaction beyond the dipole approximation
We derive a rigorous theory of the interaction between photons and spatially
extended excitons confined in quantum dots in inhomogeneous photonic materials.
We show that, beyond the dipole approximation, the radiative decay rate is
proportional to a non-local interaction function, which describes the
interaction between light and spatially extended excitons. In this regime,
light and matter degrees of freedom cannot be separated and a complex interplay
between the nanostructured optical environment and the exciton envelope
function emerges. We illustrate this by specific examples and derive a series
of important analytical relations, which are useful for applying the formalism
to practical problems. In the dipole limit, the decay rate is proportional to
the projected local density of optical states and we obtain the strong and weak
confinement regimes as special cases.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Multi-threshold second-order phase transition
We present a theory of the multi-threshold second-order phase transition, and
experimentally demonstrate the multi-threshold second-order phase transition
phenomenon. With carefully selected parameters, in an external cavity diode
laser system, we observe second-order phase transition with multiple (three or
four) thresholds in the measured power-current-temperature three dimensional
phase diagram. Such controlled death and revival of second-order phase
transition sheds new insight into the nature of ubiquitous second-order phase
transition. Our theory and experiment show that the single threshold
second-order phase transition is only a special case of the more general
multi-threshold second-order phase transition, which is an even richer
phenomenon.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Using droplet-based microfluidics to improve the catalytic properties of RNA under multiple-turnover conditions.
In vitro evolution methodologies are powerful approaches to identify RNA with new functionalities. While Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an efficient approach to generate new RNA aptamers, it is less suited for the isolation of efficient ribozymes as it does not select directly for the catalysis. In vitro compartmentalization (IVC) in aqueous droplets in emulsions allows catalytic RNAs to be selected under multiple-turnover conditions but suffers severe limitations that can be overcome using the droplet-based microfluidics workflow described in this paper. Using microfluidics, millions of genes in a library can be individually compartmentalized in highly monodisperse aqueous droplets and serial operations performed on them. This allows the different steps of the evolution process (gene amplification, transcription, and phenotypic assay) to be uncoupled, making the method highly flexible, applicable to the selection and evolution of a variety of RNAs, and easily adaptable for evolution of DNA or proteins. To demonstrate the method, we performed cycles of random mutagenesis and selection to evolve the X-motif, a ribozyme which, like many ribozymes selected using SELEX, has limited multiple-turnover activity. This led to the selection of variants, likely to be the optimal ribozymes that can be generated using point mutagenesis alone, with a turnover number under multiple-turnover conditions, kss cat, ∼28-fold higher than the original X-motif, primarily due to an increase in the rate of product release, the rate-limiting step in the multiple-turnover reaction
Dynamic modelling of electrooptically modulated vertical compound cavity surface emitting semiconductor lasers
A generalized rate equation model is used to simulate the interrelated amplitude and frequency modulation properties of Electrooptically Modulated Vertical Compound Cavity Surface Emitting Semiconductor Lasers in both large and small signal modulation regimes. It is shown that the photon lifetime in the modulator subcavity provides the ultimate limit for the 3 dB modulation cutoff frequency. It is shown that there is an optimum design (number of periods) of both the intermediate and top multistack reflectors to maximise the large-signal modulation quality
Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers and quantum dot lasers
The use of cavity to manipulate photon emission of quantum dots (QDs) has
been opening unprecedented opportunities for realizing quantum functional
nanophotonic devices and also quantum information devices. In particular, in
the field of semiconductor lasers, QDs were introduced as a superior
alternative to quantum wells to suppress the temperature dependence of the
threshold current in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers
(VECSELs). In this work, a review of properties and development of
semiconductor VECSEL devices and QD laser devices is given. Based on the
features of VECSEL devices, the main emphasis is put on the recent development
of technological approach on semiconductor QD VECSELs. Then, from the viewpoint
of both single QD nanolaser and cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), a
single-QD-cavity system resulting from the strong coupling of QD cavity is
presented. A difference of this review from the other existing works on
semiconductor VECSEL devices is that we will cover both the fundamental aspects
and technological approaches of QD VECSEL devices. And lastly, the presented
review here has provided a deep insight into useful guideline for the
development of QD VECSEL technology and future quantum functional nanophotonic
devices and monolithic photonic integrated circuits (MPhICs).Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with
arXiv:0904.369
Ultrafast switch-on dynamics of frequency-tuneable semiconductor lasers
Single-mode frequency-tuneable semiconductor lasers based on monolithic integration of multiple cavity sections are important components, widely used in optical communications, photonic integrated circuits and other optical technologies. To date, investigations of the ultrafast switching processes in such lasers, essential to reduce frequency cross-talk, have been restricted to the observation of intensity switching over nanosecond-timescales. Here, we report coherent measurements of the ultrafast switch-on dynamics, mode competition and frequency selection in a monolithic frequency-tuneable laser using coherent time-domain sampling of the laser emission. This approach allows us to observe hopping between lasing modes on picosecond-timescales and the temporal evolution of transient multi-mode emission into steady-state single mode emission. The underlying physics is explained through a full multi-mode, temperature-dependent carrier and photon transport model. Our results show that the fundamental limit on the timescales of frequency-switching between competing modes varies with the underlying Vernier alignment of the laser cavity
Spin-polarized Zener tunneling in (Ga,Mn)As
We investigate spin-polarized inter-band tunneling through measurement of
(Ga,Mn)As based Zener tunnel diode. By placing the diode under reverse bias,
electron spin polarization is transferred from the valence band of p-type
(Ga,Mn)As to the conduction band of an adjacent n-GaAs layer. The resulting
current is monitored by injection into a quantum well light emitting diode
whose electroluminescence polarization is found to track the magnetization of
the (Ga,Mn)As layer as a function of both temperature and magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Submitted, Physical Review B15 Rapid
Communication
Submonolayer Quantum Dots for High Speed Surface Emitting Lasers
We report on progress in growth and applications of submonolayer (SML) quantum dots (QDs) in high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). SML deposition enables controlled formation of high density QD arrays with good size and shape uniformity. Further increase in excitonic absorption and gain is possible with vertical stacking of SML QDs using ultrathin spacer layers. Vertically correlated, tilted or anticorrelated arrangements of the SML islands are realized and allow QD strain and wavefunction engineering. Respectively, both TE and TM polarizations of the luminescence can be achieved in the edge-emission using the same constituting materials. SML QDs provide ultrahigh modal gain, reduced temperature depletion and gain saturation effects when used in active media in laser diodes. Temperature robustness up to 100 °C for 0.98 μm range vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is realized in the continuous wave regime. An open eye 20 Gb/s operation with bit error rates better than 10−12has been achieved in a temperature range 25–85 °Cwithout current adjustment. Relaxation oscillations up to ∼30 GHz have been realized indicating feasibility of 40 Gb/s signal transmission
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