Room-temperature triangular-lattice two-dimensional photonic band gap lasers operating at 1.54 μm

Thermally and mechanically dependable two-dimensional (2D) photonic band gap lasers are proposed and realized at room temperature. The thin slab photonic band gap laser structure is sandwiched between air and a drilled aluminum oxide layer provided by wafer fusion techniques. In this thin slab structure, the optical confinement of photons is achieved by 2D triangular photonic lattice in horizontal plane and total internal reflection in vertical direction. Pulsed lasing action is observed at 1.54 mu m by optical pumping with duty cycle up to 10%. Polarization characteristics of two-dimensional photonic band gap defect modes are also studied below and above the lasing threshold. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)00121-2].