PHOTOPUMPED LASER OPERATION OF AN OXIDE POST GAAS-ALAS SUPERLATTICE PHOTONIC LATTICE

Data are presented on the laser operation of photoexcited active hexag onal photonic lattices consisting of a GaAs-AlAs superlattice slab wav eguide patterned with Zn-disordered AlGaAs posts that are converted to oxide. The semiconductor-oxide-post photonic lattice structure lases without the benefit of cleaved edges or other reflecting interfaces ow ing to strong local optical feedback provided by the high refractive i ndex contrast between oxide posts and the active GaAs-AiAs superlattic e. As the pump area is increased at constant pump power, the threshold intensity decreases as higher Q modes in an effectively larger cavity are excited, Similar hexagonal photonic lattices with nonoxidized pos ts (disordered AlGaAs posts) operate as lasers, but only with the assi stance of cleaved edges and by shifting to longer wavelength. The oxid e post photonic lattice is compatible with current-driven photonic lat tice lasers or active filters. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.