Air-suspended TiO2-based HCG reflectors for visible spectral range

For GaN-based microcavity light emitters, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and resonantcavity light emitting diodes (RCLEDs) in the blue-green wavelength regime, achieving a high reflectivity wide bandwidth feedback mirror is truly challenging. The material properties of the III-nitride alloys are hardly compatible with the conventional distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) and the newly proposed high-contrast gratings (HCGs). Alternatively, at least for the top outcoupling mirror, dielectric materials offer more suitable material combinations not only for the DBRs but also for the HCGs. HCGs may offer advantages such as transverse mode and polarization control, a broader reflectivity spectrum than epitaxially grown DBRs, and the possibility to set the resonance wavelength after epitaxial growth by the grating parameters. In this work we have realized an air-suspended TiO2 grating with the help of a SiO2 sacrificial layer. The deposition processes for the dielectric layers were fine-tuned to minimize the residual stress. To achieve an accurate control of the grating duty cycle, a newly developed lift-off process, using hydrogen silesquioxan (HSQ) and sacrificial polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) resists, was applied to deposit the hard mask, providing sub-10 nm resolution. The finally obtained TiO2/air HCGs were characterized in a micro-reflectance measurement setup. A peak power reflectivity in excess of 95% was achieved for TM polarization at the center wavelength of 435 nm, with a reflectivity stopband width of about 80 nm (FWHM). The measured HCG reflectance spectra were compared to corresponding simulations obtained from rigorous coupled-wave analysis and very good agreement was found

TiO2 membrane high-contrast grating reflectors for vertical-cavity light-emitters in the visible wavelength regime

In this work, the authors describe a novel route to achieve a high reflectivity, wide bandwidth feedback mirror for GaN-based vertical-cavity light emitters; using air-suspended high contrast gratings in TiO2, with SiO2 as a sacrificial layer. The TiO2 film deposition and the etching processes are developed to yield grating bars without bending, and with near-ideal rectangular cross-sections. Measured optical reflectivity spectra of the fabricated high contrast gratings show very good agreement with simulations, with a high reflectivity of >95% over a 25 nm wavelength span centered around 435 nm for the transverse-magnetic polarization. (C) 2015 American Vacuum Society

Metal-Free Graphene as Transparent Electrode for GaN-Based Light-Emitters

Graphene contacts to p-GaN are considered as an alternative to indium–tin-oxide transparent electrodes in GaN based vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Contact properties were investigated on light-emitting diode and p-GaN test structures, where dielectric apertures were used to eliminate the influence of the metal pads used to bias the contacts. Using single layer graphene we were able to operate light emitting diodes with current densities of 300 A/cm2. Addition of a second layer of graphene increased the maximum bias current to 1 kA/cm2. However, the contacts are non-linear and cannot withstand high current densities for a long time. The results are promising but further investigation and improvement is needed for graphene to be a viable alternative to indium–tin-oxide for blue VCSELs.status: publishe

Analysis of structurally sensitive loss in GaN-based VCSEL cavities and its effect on modal discrimination

Lateral loss causes optical energy to leave the laser cavity in the transverse, lateral, direction, and is sometimes neglected to simplify the numerical simulations. However, in contrast to outcoupling and absorption losses, we show that the lateral loss can change drastically with only nanometer-sized changes of the cavity structure, from being virtually zero to becoming the major source of cavity loss, since the cavity becomes antiguiding. This can be explained as the opening of a channel of efficient resonant lateral leakage of optical power at a certain oblique propagation angle. A number of different realizations of current apertures and top mirror designs in GaN-based VCSEL cavities, which have been suggested for realization of microcavity lasers emitting in the blue wavelength range, are simulated. Many of these are shown to lead to unintentional antiguiding, which can more than double the threshold gain for lasing. Notably, for strong enough antiguiding the resonant lateral leakage decreases so that the threshold gain values might again be tolerable. This regime has been suggested for robust single-mode operation since earlier predictions, building on analogies with slab waveguides, hinted at a very strong suppression of higher order modes. However, our simulations indicate that for the VCSEL cavities the derived formulas grossly overestimate themodal discrimination. (C) 2014 Optical Society of Americ

Engineering the Lateral Optical Guiding in Gallium Nitride-Based Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Cavities to Reach the Lowest Threshold Gain

In order to improve the current injection in GaN-based blue vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) a dielectric aperture is generally used in combination with an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) layer on the top intracavity p-contact layer. The most straightforward way to realize this introduces a depression of the structure near the optical axis and we show, by using a two-dimensional (2D) effective index method and a three-dimensional (3D) coupled-cavity beam propagation method, that this typically results in optically anti-guided structures with associated high optical losses and thus very high threshold gains. Remarkably, the threshold gain reduces with increased negative guiding, which is due to improved lateral confinement and reduction of lateral leakage. Still, moderately positively guided designs should be preferred to avoid the detrimental effect of lateral leakage and high diffraction loss. To ensure positive index guiding, we propose to planarize the structure or introduce an elevation near the optical axis by additional processing, with an associated reduction in threshold material gain from 6000 to 2000 cm(-1) for the studied structures. (C) 2013 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

Interpersonal violence and the prediction of short-term risk of repeat suicide attempt

In this multi-center cohort study, suicide attempters presenting to hospital (N = 355, 63% women) were interviewed using the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS) and followed-up by medical record review. Main outcome was non-fatal or fatal repeat suicide attempt within six months. Also, repeat attempt using a violent method was used as an additional outcome in separate analyses. Data were analyzed for the total group and for men and women separately. Repeat attempts were observed within six months in 78 persons (22%) and 21 (6%) of these used a violent method. KIVS total score of 6 or more was associated with repeat suicide attempt within six months (OR = 1.81, CI 1.08-3.02) and predicted new attempts with a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 53%. A three-fold increase in odds ratio was observed for repeat attempt using a violent method (OR = 3.40, CI 1.22-9.49). An association between exposure to violence in adulthood and violent reattempt was seen in women (OR = 1.38, CI 1.06-1.82). The overall conclusions are that information about interpersonal violence may help predict short-term risk for repeat suicide attempt, and that structured assessment of interpersonal violence may be of value in risk assessment after attempted suicide

Perithyroidal salivary gland acinic cell carcinoma: morphological and molecular attributes of a unique lesion

Rarely, salivary gland tumors such as mucoepidermoid carcinoma, mammary analogue secretory carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma arise as primary tumors from ectopic or metaplastic salivary gland tissue adjacent to or within the thyroid gland. We report for the first time a case of primary salivary acinic cell carcinoma (AcCC) adjacent to the thyroid gland in a 71-year-old female patient with Crohns disease and a previous history of malignant melanoma. Following the development of a nodule adjacent to the left thyroid lobe, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy was reported as consistent with a follicular lesion of undetermined significance (Bethesda III). A left-sided hemithyroidectomy was performed. A circumscribed lesion measuring 33 mm was noted adjacent to the thyroid and trapping parathyroid, it was composed of solid nests and glands with microcystic and follicular patterns. The tumor was negative for thyroid, parathyroid and paraganglioma markers, but positive for pan-cytokeratins, CK7, CD10, CD117, androgen receptor and HNF-beta. A metastasis of a thyroid-like renal cell carcinoma was suspected but ruled out, and the patient had no evident lesions on extensive radiology of the urogenital, pulmonary and GI tracts. Based on the morphology, a diagnosis of AcCC was suggested, and confirmed with DOG1 and PAS-diastase staining. Molecular analyses pinpointed a constitutional ASXL1 variant of uncertain significance, but no fusion events. The patient had no radiological or clinical evidence of parotid, submandibular or sublingual tumors postoperatively, and the excised lesion was therefore assumed to be a primary tumor. We here detail the morphological and immunophenotypic profile of this previously undescribed perithyroidal tumor

Tuneable VCSEL aiming for the application in interconnects and short haul systems

Widely tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) are of high interest for optical communications, gas spectroscopy and fiber-Bragg-grating measurements. In this paper we present tunable VCSEL operating at wavelength around 850 nm and 1550 nm with tuning ranges up to 20 nm and 76 nm respectively. The first versions of VCSEL operating at 1550 nm with 76 nm tuning range and an output power of 1.3mW were not designed for high speed modulation, but for applications where only stable continious tuning is essential (e.g. gas sensing). The next step was the design of non tunable VCSEL showing high speed modulation frequencies of 10 GHz with side mode supression ratios beyond 50 dB. The latest version of these devices show record output powers of 6.7mW at 20 °C and 3mW at 80 °C. The emphasis of our present and future work lies on the combination of both technologies. The tunable VCSEL operating in the 850 nm-region reaches a modulation bandwidth of 5.5GHz with an output power of 0.8mW

Tuneable VCSEL aiming for the application in interconnects and short haul systems

Widely tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) are of high interest for optical communications, gas spectroscopy and fiber-Bragg-grating measurements. In this paper we present tunable VCSEL operating at wavelength around 850 nm and 1550 nm with tuning ranges up to 20 nm and 76 nm respectively. The first versions of VCSEL operating at 1550 nm with 76 nm tuning range and an output power of 1.3mW were not designed for high speed modulation, but for applications where only stable continious tuning is essential (e.g. gas sensing). The next step was the design of non tunable VCSEL showing high speed modulation frequencies of 10 GHz with side mode supression ratios beyond 50 dB. The latest version of these devices show record output powers of 6.7mW at 20 °C and 3mW at 80 °C. The emphasis of our present and future work lies on the combination of both technologies. The tunable VCSEL operating in the 850 nm-region reaches a modulation bandwidth of 5.5GHz with an output power of 0.8mW