Realization of smaller and faster coherent light sources is critically important for the emerging applications in nanophotonics and information technology. Semiconductor lasers are arguably the most suitable candidate for such purposes. However, the minimum size of conventional semiconductor lasers utilizing dielectric optical cavities for sustaining laser oscillation is ultimately governed by ...

In the past 20 years the semiconductor laser has become a key device in optical electronics because of its pure output spectrum and high quantum efficiency. As the capabilities of laser diodes have grown, so has the range of applications contemplated for them. A great success in semiconductor lasers has been brought by the ability to artificially structure new materials on an atomic scale by us...

The optical properties of plasmonic semiconductor devices fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) milling deteriorate because of the amorphisation of the semiconductor substrate. This study explores the effects of combining traditional 30 kV FIB milling with 5 kV FIB patterning to minimise the semiconductor damage and at the same time maintain high spatial resolution. The use of reduced accelerati...

The mid-infrared spectral region can be covered by quantum cascade (QC) semiconductor lasers, where the emission wavelength is tailored by bandstructure engineering. For a detailed review on QC lasers see Ref. [1]. Their emission energy is well below the band gaps of the hosting material system. Typical GaAs QC lasers operate in the mid-infrared regime with corresponding energies of ~100 meV, w...