The objective of this research is to investigate the physics, design, fabrication and characterization of a new class of coherent light sources -- polariton lasers -- that can have ultra-low threshold powers at room temperature. The approach is to design the lasers with GaN-based nanowires grown on silicon and other substrates. Single and multiple microcavity devices with optical and electrical excitation will be characterized and analyzed.
Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit is the first comprehensive study of strong coupling and Bose-Einstein condensation in nanowires. Polariton lasing with electrical injection has not been achieved and this demonstration is transformative. Demonstration of room temperature polariton lasing and Bose-Einstein condensation are also transformative and are considered as milestones in optoelectronics. These lasers will have lower threshold powers than any other microcavity laser currently being explored.
Broader Impacts and Human Resources Development: The realization of a coherent light source which will potentially consume energy three orders of magnitude smaller than that consumed by current lasers is a quantum leap for green photonics with far-reaching consequences in telecommunication, medical and display applications. The broader impacts are the interdisciplinary nature of the research and its undergraduate and underrepresented minorities and K-12 outreach. The principal goal in education and Human Resources Development (EHRD) is to provide effective programs to educate the students involved in the research and outreach program constituents on the science and technology of photonic materials, regarded as an issue of national importance.
