Low-threshold two-dimensional annular Bragg lasers

Lasing at telecommunication wavelengths from annular resonators employing radial Bragg reflectors is demonstrated at room temperature under pulsed optical pumping. Submilliwatt pump threshold levels are observed for resonators with 0.5-1.5-wavelength-wide defects of radii 7-8 mum. The quality factors of the resonator modal fields are estimated to be of the order of a few thousand. The electromagnetic field is shown to be guided by the defect. Good agreement is found between the measured and the calculated spectra. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.