Ultrafast control of vortex microlasers

TLDR

On-chip integrated sources of structured light are needed for classical and quantum information-processing, yet existing vortex microlasers are static and have high thresholds, limiting their use in high‑speed communication. The study introduces perovskite‑based vortex microlasers and demonstrates their use for ultrafast all‑optical switching at room temperature. The authors fabricated perovskite‑based vortex microlasers and used them to achieve ultrafast all‑optical switching at room temperature. The vortex beam can be switched to a linearly polarized beam (or vice versa) in 1–1.5 ps with energy consumption orders of magnitude lower than prior all‑optical switches, demonstrating terahertz‑frequency switching that breaks the trade‑off between low energy and high speed.

Abstract

The development of classical and quantum information-processing technology calls for on-chip integrated sources of structured light. Although integrated vortex microlasers have been previously demonstrated, they remain static and possess relatively high lasing thresholds, making them unsuitable for high-speed optical communication and computing. We introduce perovskite-based vortex microlasers and demonstrate their application to ultrafast all-optical switching at room temperature. By exploiting both mode symmetry and far-field properties, we reveal that the vortex beam lasing can be switched to linearly polarized beam lasing, or vice versa, with switching times of 1 to 1.5 picoseconds and energy consumption that is orders of magnitude lower than in previously demonstrated all-optical switching. Our results provide an approach that breaks the long-standing trade-off between low energy consumption and high-speed nanophotonics, introducing vortex microlasers that are switchable at terahertz frequencies.