title: Near-field analysis of metallic DFB lasers at telecom wavelengths.
abstract: We image in near-field the transverse modes of semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating at λ ≈ 1.3 μm and employing metallic gratings. The active region is based on tensile-strained InGaAlAs quantum wells emitting transverse magnetic polarized light and is coupled via an extremely thin cladding to a nano-patterned gold grating integrated on the device surface. Single mode emission is achieved, which tunes with the grating periodicity. The near-field measurements confirm laser operation on the fundamental transverse mode. Furthermore--together with a laser threshold reduction observed in the DFB lasers--it suggests that the patterning of the top metal contact can be a strategy to reduce the high plasmonic losses in this kind of systems.
authors.affiliation: Institut Langevin, CNRS UMR7587, 1, rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greusard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bousseksou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Decobert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lelarge
authors.forename: G-H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: De Wilde
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colombelli
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*