The Role of Active Tunable Laser in GeSn Nanomechanical Oscillator in Nat Nanotechnology

It is reported that researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in Switzerland, Physics Laboratory of Higher Normal University in Paris, National Center for Scientific Research in France, Sorbonne University, City University of Paris, University of Leeds in the UK, and Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAIST) have reported on the active tunable laser effect in GeSn nanomechanical oscillators. The study was published in Nature Nanotechnology under the title "Actively tunable laser action in GeSn nanomechanical catalysts".

The mechanical force caused by high-speed oscillation provides a good method for dynamically changing the basic characteristics of materials such as refractive index, absorption coefficient, and gain dynamics. Although precise control of mechanical oscillations has been well developed in the past few decades, the concept of dynamic mechanical forces has not yet been used to develop tunable lasers. In the article, researchers demonstrated the active tunable mid infrared laser effect of a compact class IV nanomechanical oscillator. The GeSn cantilever nanobeam suspended on a silicon substrate is driven by radio frequency wave resonance. Electrically controlled mechanical oscillation can induce periodic elastic strain in GeSn nanobeams over time, thereby achieving greater than 2 μ Active tunable laser emission with m wavelength. This study proposes a wide range mid infrared tunable laser with ultra-low tuning power consumption by utilizing mechanical resonance in radio frequency as the driving mechanism.

Figure 1: Design of a GeSn nanomechanical oscillator with actively tunable laser action.

Figure 2: Experimental setup.

Figure 3: Mechanical characterization and simulation.

Figure 4: Characterization of GeSn material.

Figure 5: Laser emission characteristics of the driving oscillator.

Figure 6: Production process.

Source: Yangtze River Delta Laser Alliance