Far-field directionality control of coupled InP nanowire lasers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates precise control over the emission directionality of InP nanowire lasers by engineering optical coupling, enabling tailored far-field profiles and paving the way for integrated beam-steering on-chip light sources.

Contribution

It introduces a method for spatially engineering far-field emission of NW lasers through site-selective coupling without post-processing, and designs arrays for enhanced directionality.

Findings

Controlled far-field emission profiles achieved by tuning coupling gaps.

Lasing in TE01 waveguide mode demonstrated in NW pairs and triplets.

Periodic NW arrays enhance directionality, enabling metasurface applications.

Abstract

Nanowire (NW) lasers hold great promise as compact, coherent on-chip light sources that are crucial for next-generation optical communication and imaging technologies. However, controlling their emission directionality has been hindered by the complexities of lasing mode engineering and fabrication. Here, we demonstrate spatially-engineered far-field emission from vertically emitting InP NW lasers by establishing precise control over the optical coupling between site-selective NWs, without relying on post-epitaxy transfer and alignment processes. Leveraging this process capability, we design and grow NW pairs and triplets that lase in the TE01 waveguide mode. We then demonstrate the ability to modify their far-field emission profiles from the signature doughnut-like emission to a double-lobed emission profile by changing their optical coupling gap, evidenced by closely matching simulation and experimental profiles. Moreover, through numerical simulations, we show further enhancement in the far-field directionality by arranging the NW laser pairs in a periodic array, demonstrating the feasibility of a directional lasing metasurface. Our results provide a foundation for efficient integration of coherent light generation and beam steering in on-chip light sources.