Three-dimensional photonic crystal simultaneously integrating a nanocavity laser and waveguides

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) integration of photonic devices is an ultimate route toward highly integrated photonic circuits. 3D photonic crystals (PCs) are a promising platform for 3D integration because of their complete photonic bandgaps (cPBGs) which enables full control of light. However, simultaneous integration of active and passive devices into a 3D PC has been hindered due to fabrication difficulties. Here, we simultaneously integrate a nanocavity laser and waveguides into a 3D PC with a cPBG at near-IR wavelengths using micromanipulation technology. The proposed plate-insertion stacking method allowed fabrication of 3D PCs with a large number of layers, enabling integration of the active and passive circuit components. Laser emission from the photo-excited nanocavity laser was observed from the output port of the waveguides, demonstrating successful guiding of the light from the nanocavity laser in the 3D PC. This work paves the way for 3D photonic circuits using 3D PCs with cPBGs.