[Paper Review] Room-temperature continuous-wave operation of organometal halide perovskite lasers

Zhitong Li, Jiyoung Moon+6 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|May 3, 2018

Perovskite Materials and Applications32 references3 citations

TL;DR

This study demonstrates room-temperature continuous-wave lasing in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite lasers on silicon substrates using continuous-wave optical pumping in ambient air. The achievement stems from ultra-low lasing threshold (13 W/cm²) enabled by thermal nanoimprint lithography, which creates a high-quality factor cavity with strong mode confinement and enhanced emission properties.

ABSTRACT

Solution-processed organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have recently emerged as promising gain media for tunable semiconductor lasers, and have come to rival inorganic III-V group semiconductors as the material candidate for chip-scale lasers. Although electrically pumped lasing at room temperature is the ultimate goal, optically pumped continuous-wave lasing at room temperature,a prerequisite for a laser diode,has not been achieved so far. Here, we report lasing action in a surface emitting distributed feedback methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite laser on silicon substrate, at room temperature under continuous-wave optical pumping, in ambient air environment. This outstanding performance is achieved by the ultra-low lasing threshold of 13 W/cm2, which is enabled by the thermal nanoimprint lithography that directly patterns perovskite into a high Q cavity with large mode confinement, while at the same time improves perovskite emission characteristics. Our results represent a major step toward the realization of perovskite laser diodes, which is essential in the future insertion of perovskite lasers into photonic integrated circuits, for applications in optical computing, sensing and on-chip quantum information.

Motivation & Objective

• To achieve continuous-wave lasing in organometal halide perovskites at room temperature under ambient conditions.
• To overcome the challenge of high lasing thresholds that have hindered practical application of perovskite lasers.
• To enable integration of perovskite lasers into photonic integrated circuits for optical computing and quantum information systems.
• To demonstrate a scalable fabrication method that enhances both optical quality and mode confinement in perovskite lasers.

Proposed method

• Thermal nanoimprint lithography was used to directly pattern the perovskite material into a distributed feedback structure on a silicon substrate.
• The fabricated device features a high-quality factor (Q) cavity with strong spatial mode confinement, reducing threshold pump power.
• Optical pumping was applied continuously at room temperature in ambient air to evaluate lasing performance.
• The perovskite material, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), was solution-processed and deposited directly onto the patterned substrate.
• Lasing characteristics were measured via emission spectroscopy under varying pump intensities to identify threshold behavior.
• The device geometry was optimized to enhance both optical feedback and emission efficiency.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can perovskite lasers achieve continuous-wave operation at room temperature under ambient conditions?
• RQ2 What is the minimum pump intensity required to achieve lasing in perovskite-based distributed feedback structures?
• RQ3 How does nanoimprint lithography improve the optical quality and mode confinement in perovskite lasers?
• RQ4 Can solution-processed perovskites sustain continuous-wave lasing without cryogenic cooling or encapsulation?

Key findings

• The perovskite laser achieved continuous-wave lasing at room temperature under ambient air conditions with a threshold pump intensity of only 13 W/cm².
• The lasing emission was observed at a wavelength of approximately 770 nm, with a narrow spectral linewidth indicating high spectral purity.
• The high-quality factor cavity, fabricated via thermal nanoimprint lithography, significantly enhanced mode confinement and reduced lasing threshold.
• The device demonstrated stable lasing operation over extended periods under continuous optical pumping, confirming robustness.
• The integration of perovskite directly onto a silicon substrate enables compatibility with existing photonic integrated circuit platforms.