Self-organized GaN quantum wire UV lasers

Abstract

Quantum wire lasers are generally fabricated through complex overgrowth processes with molecular beam epitaxy. The material systems of such overgrown quantum wires have been limited to Al-Ga-As-P, which leads to emission largely in the visible region. We describe a simple, one-step chemical vapor deposition process for making quantum wire lasers based on the Al-Ga-N system. A novel quantum-wire-in-optical-fiber (Qwof) nanostructure was obtained as a result of spontaneous Al-Ga-N phase separation at the nanometer scale in one dimension. The simultaneous excitonic and photonic confinement within these coaxial Qwof nanostructures leads to the first GaN-based quantum wire UV lasers with a relatively low threshold.