Metasurface reflector enables room-temperature circularly polarized emission from VCSEL

• DOI: 10.1364/optica.490176
• Publication Date: 2023-07-20T15:12:38Z
• Authors: Xiangli Jia; Jonas Kapraun; Jiaxing Wang; Jipeng Qi; Yipeng Ji; Connie Chang-Hasnain
• Keywords: Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

While most lasers are linearly polarized, circularly polarized laser sources crucial components for many optical applications such as biosensing, quantum technologies, and AR/VR. However, conventional methods generating chiral light have limitations in device miniaturization. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting (VCSELs), with their small footprint surface emission feature, can be integrated ultrathin metasurfaces manipulation, offering an opportunity to realize ultracompact lasers. Here we report, our knowledge, the first demonstration of lasing from electrically pumped VCSELs at room temperature, without spin injection. This is enabled by incorporating a high-contrast metasurface reflector VCSEL top mirror, favoring one specific circular polarization lasing. Our demonstrated 940 nm show stable single-mode achieve circular-polarization degree up 59%. study provides scalable approach control holds great promise that desire emitters.