Methods of forming nanocavity laser structures
Optical switches and logic devices comprising microstructure-doped nanocavity lasers are described. These switches and logic devices have gain and thus can be cascaded and integrated in a network or system such as for example on a chip. Exemplary switching elements switch the intensity, wavelength, or direction of the output. Exemplary logic devices include AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NOT, and XOR gates as well as flip-flops. Microfluidic sorting and delivery as well as optical tweezing and trapping may be employ to select and position a light emitter in an nanooptical cavity to form the nanolaser.
1. A method of fabricating a nanocavity laser, said method comprising:
pumping a laser cavity that supports an optical mode having an optical field concentrated in a region of said laser cavity; and
optically trapping a light emitter in said region of said laser cavity, the light emitter configured to provide optical gain for said laser cavity.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising optically tweezing said light emitter by presenting said light emitter in a vicinity of said laser cavity such that said light emitter is drawn into said region of said laser cavity.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pumping a laser cavity comprises pumping a microstructure-doped cavity.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pumping a laser cavity comprises pumping a photonic crystal cavity.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said pumping a laser cavity comprises pumping a photonic crystal nanooptical cavity.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pumping comprises optically pumping.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pumping comprises electrically pumping.
8. A method of fabricating a nanocavity laser, said method comprising:
flowing a liquid comprising a plurality of light emitters therein through a region;
illuminating said plurality of light emitters in said region with light;
detecting radiation emitted from said light emitters flowed through said region;
selecting at least one of said light emitters based on said radiation detected; and
delivering said at least one light emitter to a laser cavity, said light emitter configured to provide optical gain for said laser cavity.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said delivering comprises flowing fluid containing said at least one light emitter adjacent said laser cavity.
10. A method of fabricating a nanocavity laser, said method comprising:
providing a microstructure-doped laser cavity comprising microstructures formed in a matrix having an opening therein, said opening being less than about 500 nanometers wide; and
inserting a light emitter in said opening by flowing a fluid containing said light emitter in the proximity of said opening, said light emitter configured to provide optical gain for said laser cavity.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing a microstructure-doped laser cavity comprises providing a matrix having microstructures formed therein that has an opening that is less than about 300 nanometers wide.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing a microstructure-doped laser cavity comprises providing a matrix having microstructures formed therein that has an opening that is less than about 100 nanometers wide.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein flowing said fluid comprises flowing said fluid containing said light emitter through a channel having a width of about 500 microns or less.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein flowing said fluid comprises flowing said fluid containing said light emitter through a channel having a width of about 100 microns or less.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting said light emitter based on emission produced by said emitter.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said emission has an optical frequency and said laser cavity has a resonant frequency and said light emitter is selected such that said optical frequency of said emission matches said resonant frequency of said laser cavity.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising optically trapping said light emitter in said opening.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light emitter comprises a quantum dot.
19. The method of claim 1 , where said light emitter comprises a unit cell of a bulk crystal with dopants, a rare earth atom disposed in a crystal, a free atom, a luminescent molecule, or a fluorescent bead.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said laser comprises an optical switch or an optical gate.
21. A method of fabricating a nanocavity laser, said method comprising:
providing a laser cavity that supports an optical mode having an optical field concentrated in a region of said laser cavity when said laser cavity is pumped; and
delivering a light emitter to said laser cavity microfluidically, wherein said light emitter is configured to provide optical gain for said laser cavity.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising optically trapping said light emitter in said region of said laser cavity.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said laser cavity comprises a microstructure-doped cavity.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein said laser cavity comprises a photonic crystal cavity.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said laser cavity comprises a photonic crystal nanooptical cavity.
26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising optically pumping said laser cavity.
27. The method of claim 21 , further comprising electrically pumping said laser cavity.