Low-threshold single ternary GaAsSb nanowire lasers emitting at silicon transparent wavelengths

Abstract

Conventional binary III–V nanowire (NW) lasers face substantial challenges in tuning their lasing emission to silicon transparent wavelengths and require complex quantum heterostructure designs for realizing on-chip integrated nanolasers. Here, an alternative and straightforward approach is reported by developing ternary III–V NW-lasers in the form of surface-passivated GaAsSb NW-lasers grown on silicon. High-quality GaAsSb NW-cavities with high Sb-content (>20%) and extended lengths (>5 μm) are shown to exhibit striking radiative efficiency enhancements (∼200-fold) when passivated by closely lattice-matched InAlGaAs shell layers. Utilizing this core–shell approach, optically pumped lasing is then demonstrated from single GaAsSb NW-lasers with lasing threshold as low as 3.2 μJ/cm2 at temperatures up to 250 K and emission wavelengths of ∼1.1–1.2 μm. Analysis of the optical mode spectra and mode-dependent threshold gain further shows that lasing is induced by the fundamental HE11 modes, and likely even lower thresholds may be achieved by establishing the TE01 mode at increased NW-cavity diameters.