InGaN/GaN Nanorod Arrays for a Hybrid Nanolaser

Lasers with small size have demonstrated great potential in numerous applications including communication, optical computing, detection, displays, and optical logic circuits. In this study, hybrid plasmonic nanolasers with metal pad structures based on the InGaN/GaN nanorod are designed and fabricated to investigate the lasing modes and polarization modulation. Dominant coupling of the surface plasmon mode has been achieved by optimizing the hybrid nanolaser structures, which significantly enhances the electric field concentration, leading to an ultralow threshold (∼1.19 W cm–2) plasmonic multimode lasing. Based on the theoretical and experimental results, it is proposed that the suitable plasmonic structural parameters could provide wave-vector matching and phase compensation to form a strong plasmon resonator, yielding a low radiative loss and high gain for the laser. These InGaN/GaN nanorod arrays for the hybrid nanolaser not only provide a solution to the ultralow-threshold nanorod-based plasmonic lasers but also advocate the prospect of the greater potential of nanoscale arrays for luminescence and displays. These findings and understandings provide vital insights into the developments of electrically driven plasmonic nanolasers and may contribute to the realization of nanolaser-based display arrays and optical on-chip integration for the next generation of logic circuits.