Control of the emission properties of a miniature laser with nanostructured thin films

This project aims to integrate nanostructured thin films directly onto luminescent materials to obtain a miniature single-mode laser source emitting over a narrow frequency band at higher power than other existing miniature laser device technologies can achieve. The ability to operate in single mode relies on the concepts of exceptional points in polarization space and twisted-mode operation, which eliminate dual polarization and multiple longitudinal mode emission, respectively. The key to achieving this is to produce a controlled anisotropic optical response of laser mirrors at normal incidence by creating a diffraction grating in a multilayer Bragg mirror using nanofabrication techniques. The proposed participating institute offers fabrication capabilities that complement the expertise available at the Université de Moncton for laser experiments. This project will mark an important step towards the development of a frequency-agile continuous wave laser, whose new operating principle could disrupt existing paradigms involving the design of frequency-modulated continuous wave lasers for remote sensing applications, as much higher output powers would be achievable with a simpler laser architecture.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-François Bisson

Student:

Partner:

University of Eastern Finland

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Nanotechnology; Energy and Utilities; Forestry; Quantum Science

University:

Université de Moncton

Program: