A 310 nm Optically Pumped AlGaN Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser
Journal article, 2021

Ultraviolet light is essential for disinfection, fluorescence excitation, curing, and medical treatment. An ultraviolet light source with the small footprint and excellent optical characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) may enable new applications in all these areas. Until now, there have only been a few demonstrations of ultraviolet-emitting VCSELs, mainly optically pumped, and all with low Al-content AlGaN cavities and emission near the bandgap of GaN (360 nm). Here, we demonstrate an optically pumped VCSEL emitting in the UVB spectrum (280-320 nm) at room temperature, having an Al0.60Ga0.40N cavity between two dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors. The double dielectric distributed Bragg reflector design was realized by substrate removal using electrochemical etching. Our method is further extendable to even shorter wavelengths, which would establish a technology that enables VCSEL emission from UVA (320-400 nm) to UVC (<280 nm).

UVB

ultraviolet

dielectric DBR

AlGaN

electrochemical etching

vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

Author

Filip Hjort

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

Johannes Enslin

Technische Universität Berlin

Munise Cobet

Technische Universität Berlin

Michael Alexander Bergmann

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

Johan Gustavsson

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

Tim Kolbe

Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fur Hochstfrequenztechnik

Arne Knauer

Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fur Hochstfrequenztechnik

Felix Nippert

Technische Universität Berlin

Ines Häusler

Technische Universität Berlin

Markus R. Wagner

Technische Universität Berlin

Tim Wernicke

Technische Universität Berlin

Michael Kneissl

Technische Universität Berlin

Åsa Haglund

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

ACS Photonics

2330-4022 (eISSN)

Vol. 8 1 135-141

Ultravioletta och blå mikrokavitetslasrar

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2018-00295), 2019-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.

Microcavity laser breakthrough for ultraviolet light (UV-LASE)

European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/865622), 2020-08-01 -- 2025-07-31.

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

Other Physics Topics

DOI

10.1021/acsphotonics.0c01382

PubMed

33506073

More information

Latest update

2/1/2021 9