Electrically pumped edge-emitting photonic bandgap semiconductor laser

An electrically pumped edge-emitting photonic bandgap semiconductor laser, comprising

• an active layer of semiconductor material defining a plane having an axial direction, the active layer comprising an array of dielectric-contrasting posts or holes having two-dimensional periodicity aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the active layer thereby providing a photonic bandgap, the periodic dielectric structure having an active region therein where the semiconductor material forms an active p-n junction having light emission at a lasing wavelength within the photonic bandgap, the periodic dielectric structure providing a first photonic bandgap mirror and a second photonic bandgap mirror that define an optical cavity for axial confinement of the emitted light in the active region;
• at least two electrically insulating cladding layers, comprising oxides of the semiconductor material, enclosing the active layer for optical confinement of the light emission to the axial direction;
• and
• a positive electrode connected to the p-type material and a negative electrode connected to the n-type material by a current-carrying aperture in the at least two electrically insulating cladding layers for electrical pumping of the active region to achieve light emission from the p-n junction in the axial direction of the semiconductor laser.

An electrically pumped edge-emitting photonic bandgap semiconductor laser, comprising

• an active layer of semiconductor material defining a plane having an axial direction, the active layer comprising an array of dielectric-contrasting posts or holes having two-dimensional periodicity aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the active layer thereby providing a photonic bandgap, the periodic dielectric structure having an active region therein where the semiconductor material forms an active p-n junction having light emission at a lasing wavelength within the photonic bandgap, the periodic dielectric structure providing a first photonic bandgap mirror and a second photonic bandgap mirror that define an optical cavity for axial confinement of the emitted light in the active region;
• at least two electrically insulating cladding layers enclosing the active layer for optical confinement of the light emission to the axial direction;
• a positive electrode connected to the p-type material and a negative electrode connected to the n-type material by a current-carrying aperture in the at least two electrically insulating cladding layers for electrical pumping of the active region to achieve light emission from the p-n junction in the axial direction of the semiconductor laser;
• and
• wherein the electronic bandgap energy of the semiconductor material in the active layer outside of the active region is larger than the transition energy of the semiconductor material in the active region at the lasing wavelength.