A surface plasmon laser
Abstract
We examine the possibility of stimulated emission of a surface plasma wave (SPW) on a metal-vacuum interface by electron-hole recombination in a forward biased p-n junction located near the interface. We consider a thin layer of n-type semiconductor sandwiched between a metal and a p-type semiconductor, and the p-n junction is forward biased. The mode structure of the SPW, propagating along the metal surface, extends up to the p-n junction, where it induces electron-hole recombination and gets amplified. The optical gain of the SPW laser can be made comparable to that of a diode laser by reducing the thickness of the sandwich layer.
- Publication:
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Journal of Applied Physics
- Pub Date:
- August 2008
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2008JAP...104c3306K
- Keywords:
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- 73.40.Ns;
- 73.20.Mf;
- 73.40.Lq;
- 72.20.Jv;
- Metal-nonmetal contacts;
- Collective excitations;
- Other semiconductor-to-semiconductor contacts p-n junctions and heterojunctions;
- Charge carriers: generation recombination lifetime and trapping