Nanofabrication of two-dimensional photonic crystal mirrors for 1.5 μm short cavity lasers

We have developed a fabrication scheme for two-dimensional (2D) triangular photonic crystals (PCs) on InP-based material systems involving high resolution electron beam lithography, pattern transfer to a SiO2 etch mask, and a Cl-2/Ar electron cyclotron resonance reactive ion etch step yielding PCs with periods of a=300-450 nm and air fill factors of f = 18%-63%. These PCs are employed as high reflectivity mirrors for 1.5 mum short cavity lasers, which are key components in future highly integrated PC based photonic circuits. We have fabricated lasers with 2 PC mirrors and cavity lengths down to 100 mum. Threshold currents as low as 7.6 mA were achieved for the shortest lasers with 2 PC mirrors. The short laser cavity results in a large Fabry-Perot mode spacing and mode competition leads to single mode lasing over a reasonably large current range up to 4.5X threshold. Lasers with one PC back mirror and a cleaved output facet show a higher threshold current of 13 mA and a maximum output power of more than 4 mW. The variation of laser performance with different cavity lengths is presented and discussed. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.