One-dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam lasers on a flexible substrate

Abstract

We demonstrate a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavity laser composed of hybrid PhC mirrors on a suspended nanobeam (NB) with very small device footprint of 8.5 x 0.57 mu m(2). The 0th-order mode lasing action with low threshold of 280 mu W is observed. Via the optical glue stamping process, the devices are directly transferred onto a flexible polypropylene substrate. Single mode lasing action with effective threshold of 17 mu W is achieved. The robust lasing properties of the device with different bending radii R from infinity to 2.5 mm are obtained. Via finite-element method, we also theoretically address that the lasing wavelength is almost invariant when R> 1.0 mm. This flexible 1D PhC NB laser will be a good candidate for efficient nanolaser in future flexible photonic integrated circuits with ultrahigh component density. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3626592]