Nanopillar photonic crystal lasers

1. A nanopillar photonic crystal laser, comprising:

a plurality of nanopillars each having an axial dimension and two unequal mutually orthogonal cross dimensions; and

a support structure in contact with at least a portion of each of said plurality of nanopillars,

wherein said axial dimension of each of said plurality of nanopillars is greater than said two mutually orthogonal cross dimensions,

wherein said mutually orthogonal cross dimensions are less than 1 μm and greater than 1 nm,

wherein said support structure holds said plurality of nanopillars in preselected relative orientations and displacements relative to each other to form an array pattern that confines light of a preselected wavelength to a resonance region that intercepts at least one nanopillar of said plurality of nanopillars,

wherein said support structure is a PDMS layer formed to at least partially embed said plurality of nanopillars; and

wherein said at least one nanopillar comprises a lasing material to provide an output laser beam of light at said preselected wavelength.

2. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said support structure comprises a substrate that is at least one of attached to or integral with each of said plurality of nanopillars.

3. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of nanopillars comprises a passivation layer on a circumferential surface thereof.

4. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 3 , wherein said passivation layer comprises a material having a band gap that is larger than a band gap of said lasing material.

5. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said array pattern comprises a sub-array of nanopillars surrounding said at least one nanopillar and having preselected relative orientations and displacements relative to each other that differ from preselected relative orientations and displacements to said at least one nanopillar.

6. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said mutually orthogonal cross dimensions of each of said plurality of nanopillars are less than about 1 μm and greater than about 10 nm.

7. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said support structure holds said plurality of nanopillars in orientations that are substantially parallel to each other.

8. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of nanopillars is at least 50 nanopillars.

9. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected relative displacements of said plurality of nanopillars are accurate to within 10%.

10. A method of making a nanopillar photonic crystal laser, comprising:

providing a mask layer on a substrate;

patterning said mask layer to form a plurality of holes in said mask layer; and

growing a plurality of nanopillars on said substrate through said plurality of holes such that said plurality of nanopillars are arranged in an array pattern with preselected relative orientations and displacements relative to each other;

forming a PDMS layer on said substrate to at least partially embed said array of nanopillars in said PDMS layer; and

mechanically removing said PDMS layer from said substrate such that said plurality of nanopillars become detached from said substrate and remain embedded in said PDMS layer after removal from said substrate;

wherein said plurality of nanopillars maintain said array pattern in said PDMS layer after removal from said substrate;

wherein said plurality of nanopillars in said array pattern confines light of a preselected wavelength to a resonance region that intercepts at least one nanopillar of said plurality of nanopillars, and

wherein said least one nanopillar comprises a lasing material to provide an output laser beam of light at said preselected wavelength.

11. The method of making a nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 10 , further comprising, prior to growing said plurality of nanopillars, etching said substrate where exposed by said plurality of holes.

12. The method of making a nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 10 , wherein said step of growing said plurality of nanopillars includes forming a passivation layer on a circumferential surface of each of said plurality of nanopillars.

13. A nanopillar photonic crystal laser, comprising:

a plurality of nanopillars each having an axial dimension and two unequal mutually orthogonal cross dimensions; and

a support structure in contact with at least a portion of each of said plurality of nanopillars,

wherein said axial dimension of each of said plurality of nanopillars is greater than said two mutually orthogonal cross dimensions,

wherein said mutually orthogonal cross dimensions are less than 1 μm and greater than 1 nm,

wherein said support structure holds said plurality of nanopillars in preselected relative orientations and displacements relative to each other to form an array pattern that confines light of a preselected wavelength to a resonance region that intercepts at least one nanopillar of said plurality of nanopillars,

wherein said array pattern comprises a sub-array of nanopillars surrounding said at least one nanopillar and having preselected relative orientations and displacements relative to each other that differ from preselected relative orientations and displacements to said at least one nanopillar, and

wherein said at least one nanopillar comprises a lasing material to provide an output laser beam of light at said preselected wavelength.

14. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of nanopillars comprises a passivation layer on a circumferential surface thereof.

15. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 14 , wherein said passivation layer comprises a material having a band gap that is larger than a band gap of said lasing material.

16. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 13 , wherein said mutually orthogonal cross dimensions of each of said plurality of nanopillars are less than about 1 μm and greater than about 10 nm.

17. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 13 , wherein said support structure holds said plurality of nanopillars in orientations that are substantially parallel to each other.

18. The nanopillar photonic crystal laser according to claim 13 , wherein said preselected relative displacements of said plurality of nanopillars are accurate to within 10%.