Ultra-small footprint photonic crystal lasers with organic gain material

We present the design of an optimized mixed-order photonic crystal laser structure. The lasing properties of this two-dimensional photonic crystal structure with an organic gain material are investigated theoretically and experimentally. A feedback structure fabricated in a thin film of Ta 2O5 increases both the index contrast from the gain material as well as the optical confinement. Furthermore, by combining first order photonic crystal structures with second order ones losses occurring at the edge of the second order structure are dramatically reduced leading to a lower laser threshold and / or to a much smaller footprint of the laser.