Dual-wavelength laser emission from a coupled semiconductor microcavity

Abstract

We report photopumped operation of a monolithic coupled semiconductor microcavity laser. The structure consists of two λ-sized GaAs vertical cavities, one on top of the other, coupled together through a common mirror. Due to a wedge induced into each cavity, the detuning between the cavities can be continuously varied when moving across the sample. Depending on the detuning, laser action is simultaneously achieved at two different wavelengths or occurs only at one wavelength. At resonance, we observe coupled dual-wavelength laser emission at two widely spaced wavelengths (13 nm) with the same threshold and same dependence on pump power.