Low-Threshold near-Infrared GaAs–AlGaAs Core–Shell Nanowire Plasmon Laser

Abstract

We demonstrate plasmonic lasing from metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown GaAs–AlGaAs core–shell nanowires (NWs) with subdiffraction limit diameters of ∼150 nm placed directly on a silver thin film. The absence of a low-index dielectric spacer layer between the NW and the metal layer allows for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) lasing using a nonhybridized plasmonic mode. Unlike previously reported plasmonic NW lasers using the fundamental SPP mode, we demonstrate for the first time plasmonic NW lasing under pulsed optical excitation by using the higher order SPP mode. The higher order mode allows us to alleviate the high losses associated with the fundamental plasmonic mode. We observed lasing at temperatures up to 125 K. Our demonstration of a plasmonic laser based on GaAs emitting in the near-infrared region will be useful for the on-chip integration of nanophotonic and electronic devices and the development of GaAs-based plasmonic devices.