Photonic crystal laser sources for chemical detection

We have realized photonic crystal lasers that permit the introduction of analyte within the peak of the optical field of the lasing mode. We have explored the design compromises for developing such sensitive low-threshold spectroscopy sources, and demonstrate the operation of photonic crystal lasers in different ambient organic solutions. We show that nanocavity lasers can be used to perform spectroscopic tests on femtoliter volumes of analyte, and propose to use these lasers for high-resolution spectroscopy with single-molecule sensitivity

High quality factors and room-temperature lasing in a modified single-defect photonic crystal cavity

We propose and analyze a new photonic crystal cavity design that supports a dipole mode with a quality factor greater than 20,000. Such a high quality factor is obtained by precise tuning of the cavity length with minimal disruption of the surrounding photonic crystal. A fabrication procedure based on dry etching of InGaAsP material in HI/H2/Ar is used to demonstrate photonic crystal lasers with smooth and straight sidewalls. These room-temperature lasers concentrate optical energy in air and are suitable for use as tunable lasers and chemical sensors

Low-threshold photonic crystal laser

We have fabricated photonic crystal nanocavity lasers, based on a high-quality factor design that incorporates fractional edge dislocations. Lasers with InGaAsP quantum well active material emitting at 1550 nm were optically pumped with 10 ns pulses, and lased at threshold pumping powers below 220 µW, the lowest reported for quantum-well based photonic crystal lasers, to our knowledge. Polarization characteristics and lithographic tuning properties were found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions

Growing High-Quality InAs Quantum Dots for Infrared Lasers

An improved method of growing high-quality InAs quantum dots embedded in lattice-matched InGaAs quantum wells on InP substrates has been developed. InAs/InGaAs/InP quantum dot semiconductor lasers fabricated by this method are capable of operating at room temperature at wavelengths greater than or equal to 1.8 mm. Previously, InAs quantum dot lasers based on InP substrates have been reported only at low temperature of 77 K at a wavelength of 1.9 micrometers. In the present method, as in the prior method, one utilizes metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy to grow the aforementioned semiconductor structures. The development of the present method was prompted in part by the observation that when InAs quantum dots are deposited on an InGaAs layer, some of the InAs in the InGaAs layer becomes segregated from the layer and contributes to the formation of the InAs quantum dots. As a result, the quantum dots become highly nonuniform; some even exceed a critical thickness, beyond which they relax. In the present method, one covers the InGaAs layer with a thin layer of GaAs before depositing the InAs quantum dots. The purpose and effect of this thin GaAs layer is to suppress the segregation of InAs from the InGaAs layer, thereby enabling the InAs quantum dots to become nearly uniform (see figure). Devices fabricated by this method have shown near-room-temperature performance

Photonic Crystal Lasers

We compare photonic crystal lasers with other microcavities for future switching and spectroscopy systems. High speed and efficiency along with massive lithographic integration makes these lasers particularly interesting for optical switching and signal processing

Semiconductor Lasers Containing Quantum Wells in Junctions

In a recent improvement upon In(x)Ga(1-x)As/InP semiconductor lasers of the bipolar cascade type, quantum wells are added to Esaki tunnel junctions, which are standard parts of such lasers. The energy depths and the geometric locations and thicknesses of the wells are tailored to exploit quantum tunneling such that, as described below, electrical resistances of junctions and concentrations of dopants can be reduced while laser performances can be improved. In(x)Ga(1-x)As/InP bipolar cascade lasers have been investigated as sources of near-infrared radiation (specifically, at wavelengths of about 980 and 1,550 nm) for photonic communication systems. The Esaki tunnel junctions in these lasers have been used to connect adjacent cascade stages and to enable transport of charge carriers between them. Typically, large concentrations of both n (electron-donor) and p (electron-acceptor) dopants have been necessary to impart low electrical resistances to Esaki tunnel junctions. Unfortunately, high doping contributes free-carrier absorption, thereby contributing to optical loss and thereby, further, degrading laser performance. In accordance with the present innovation, quantum wells are incorporated into the Esaki tunnel junctions so that the effective heights of barriers to quantum tunneling are reduced (see figure)

Near-field scanning optical microscopy of photonic crystal nanocavities

Near-field scanning optical microscopy was used to observe high-resolution images of confined modes and photonic bands of planar photonic crystal (PPC) nanocavities fabricated in active InGaAsP material. We have observed the smallest optical cavity modes, which are intentionally produced by fractional edge dislocation high-Q cavity designs. The size of the detected mode was roughly four by three lattice spacings. We have also observed extended dielectric-band modes of the bulk PPC surrounding the nanocavity by geometrically altering the bands in emission range and eliminating localized modes out of the emission range

Adding GaAs Monolayers to InAs Quantum-Dot Lasers on (001) InP

In a modification of the basic configuration of InAs quantum-dot semiconductor lasers on (001)lnP substrate, a thin layer (typically 1 to 2 monolayer thick) of GaAs is incorporated into the active region. This modification enhances laser performance: In particular, whereas it has been necessary to cool the unmodified devices to temperatures of about 80 K in order to obtain lasing at long wavelengths, the modified devices can lase at wavelengths of about 1.7 microns or more near room temperature. InAs quantum dots self-assemble, as a consequence of the lattice mismatch, during epitaxial deposition of InAs on ln0.53Ga0.47As/lnP. In the unmodified devices, the quantum dots as thus formed are typically nonuniform in size. Strainenergy relaxation in very large quantum dots can lead to poor laser performance, especially at wavelengths near 2 microns, for which large quantum dots are needed. In the modified devices, the thin layers of GaAs added to the active regions constitute potential-energy barriers that electrons can only penetrate by quantum tunneling and thus reduce the hot carrier effects. Also, the insertion of thin GaAs layer is shown to reduce the degree of nonuniformity of sizes of the quantum dots. In the fabrication of a batch of modified InAs quantum-dot lasers, the thin additional layer of GaAs is deposited as an interfacial layer in an InGaAs quantum well on (001) InP substrate. The device as described thus far is sandwiched between InGaAsPy waveguide layers, then further sandwiched between InP cladding layers, then further sandwiched between heavily Zn-doped (p-type) InGaAs contact layer

The weather affects air conditioner purchases to fill the energy efficiency gap

Energy efficiency improvement is often hindered by the energy efficiency gap. This paper examines the effect of short-run temperature fluctuations on the Energy Star air conditioner purchases in the United States from 2006 to 2019 using transaction-level data. Results show that the probability of purchasing an Energy Star air conditioner increases as the weekly temperature before the transaction deviates from 20–22 °C. A larger response is related to fewer cooling degree days in the previous years, higher electricity prices/income/educational levels/age/rate of owners, more common use of electricity, and stronger concern about climate change. 1 °C increase and decrease from 21 °C would lead to a reduction of total energy expenditure by 35.46 and 17.73 million dollars nationwide (0.13% and 0.06% of the annual total energy expenditure on air conditioning), respectively. Our findings have important policy implications for demand-end interventions to incorporate the potential impact of the ambient physical environment