Optically pumped nanowire lasers: invited review

TLDR

This review surveys optically pumped ZnO nanowire lasers, covering their operation and key characteristics. The authors systematically examine nanowire laser behavior, from amplified spontaneous emission to threshold, using a head‑on detection geometry to map far‑field modes in a nanowire‑on‑substrate configuration. They show that laser threshold scales with nanowire diameter, explain this via guided mode analysis, and report temperature‑dependent performance suggesting specific gain mechanisms.

Abstract

This paper reviews several topics related to optically pumped ZnO nanowire lasers. A systematic study of the various properties of a device as it evolves from the regime of amplified spontaneous emission to laser oscillation above threshold is presented. The key dependence of the laser threshold on nanowire diameter is demonstrated and explained by means of a thorough study of guided modes in semiconducting nanowires for a nanowire-on-substrate geometry. A 'head on' detection geometry is used to measure the far-field profile of a nanowire laser and thus identify the modes responsible for lasing. Finally, the temperature behavior of a nanowire laser is reported, and possible mechanisms that may be responsible for gain are suggested.