The manipulation of optical energy in structures smaller than the wavelength of light is key to the development of integrated photonic devices for computing, communications and sensing. Wide band gap semiconductor nanostructures with near-cylindrical geometry and large dielectric constants exhibit two-dimensional ultraviolet and visible photonic confinement (i.e. waveguiding). Combined with optical gain, the waveguiding behavior facilitates highly directional lasing at room temperature in controlled-growth nanowires with suitable resonant feedback. This concept of using well-cleaved nanowires as natural optical cavities may be extendable to many other different semiconductor systems. We have further explored the properties and functions of individual ultralong crystalline oxide nanoribbons that act as subwavelength optical waveguides and assess their applicability as nanoscale photonic elements. The length, flexibility and strength of these structures enable their manipulation on surfaces, including the optical linking of nanoribbon waveguides and other nanowire elements to form networks and device components. We have demonstrated the assembly of ribbon waveguides with nanowire light sources and detectors as a first step toward building nanowire photonic circuitry.
Research Milestones
- 2001 – First Nanowire Laser. “Room-temperature ultraviolet nanowire nanolasers”, M. Huang, S. Mao, H. Feick, H. Yan, Y. Wu, H. Kind, E. Weber, R. Russo, P. Yang, Science
- 2002 – First GaN Nanowire Laser. “Single gallium nitride nanowire lasers”, J. Johnson, H. J. Choi, K. P. Knutsen, R. D. Schaller, P. Yang, R. J. Saykally, Nature Materials
- 2003 – First Quantum Wire Laser. “Self-organized GaN quantum wire UV lasers”, H. Choi, J. Johnson, R. He, S. Lee, F. Kim, P. Pauzauskie, J. Goldberger, R. Saykally, P. Yang, J. Phys. Chem. B
- 2004 – Epitaxial growth of high-density GaN nanowire arrays. “Crystallographic Alignment of High Density Gallium Nitride Nanowire Arrays”, T. Kuykendall*, P. J. Pauzauskie*, Y. Zhang, J. Goldberger, D. Sirbuly, J. Denlinger, P. Yang, Nature Materials
- 2004 – Nanoribbons used for nanoscale photonic elements. “Nanoribbon Waveguides for Subwavelength Photonics Integration”, M. Law*, D. Sirbuly*, J. Johnson, J. Goldberger, R. Saykally, P. Yang, Science
- 2005 – Assembling optical networks with nanowires. “Optical routing and sensing with nanowire assemblies”, D. J. Sirbuly*, M. Law*, P. Pauzauskie, H. Yan, A. V. Maslov, K. Knudsen, R. J. Saykally, P. Yang, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 102, 7800, 2005.
- 2006 – Using light to assemble nanowires in water. “Optical Trapping and Integration of Semiconductor Nanowire Assemblies in Water”, P. Pauzauskie, A. Radenovic, E. Trepagnier , H. Shroff, P. Yang, J. Liphardt, Nature. Materials.
- 2006 – New geometry to modify the optical modes in nanowire lasers. “Semiconductor Nanowire Ring Resonator Laser”, P. Pauzauskie, D. Sirbuly, P. Yang, Phys. Rev. Lett.
- 2007 – Demonstration of a nanowire made from a nonlinear material and used as a nanoscale optical probe with tunable emission. “Tunable nanowire nonlinear optical probe”, Y. Nakayama*, P. J. Pauzauskie*, A. Radenovic*, R. M. Onorato*, R. J. Saykally, J. Liphardt, P. Yang, Nature
- 2007 – Demonstration of utilizing the nanowire geometry to alloy InGaN across the complete compositional range to obtain band gaps across the visible spectrum. “Complete Composition Tunability of InGaN Nanowires using a Combinatorial Approach”, T. Kuykendall, P. Ulrich, S. Aloni, P. Yang, Nature Materials
- 2008 – Demonstration of assembling and manipulating metallic nanowires with light. “Dynamic manipulation and separation of individual semiconducting and metallic nanowires using optoelectronic tweezers”, A. Jamshidi*, P. J. Pauzauskie*, P. J. Schuck, A. T. Ohta, P. Chiou, J. Chou, P. Yang, M. C. Wu, Nature Photonics
- 2009 – Imaging emission along a single vertical ZnO nanowire laser. “Imaging Single ZnO Vertical Nanowire Laser Cavities Using UV-laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy”, D. Gargas, M.E. Toimil-Molares, P. Yang, J. Am. Chem. Soc.
- 2009 – “Nanowire Photonics”, R. Yan, D. Gargas, P. Yang, Nature Photonics (Invited Review)
- 2009 – Demonstration of coupling a plasmon excitation into a photonic waveguide in nanowires. “Direct Photonic-Plasmonic Coupling and Routing in Single Nanowires”, R. Yan, P. Pausauskie, J. Huang, P. Yang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
- 2013 – Demonstration of precise control of lasing modes in nanowires by coupling cavities. “Cleaved-Coupled Nanowire Lasers”, H. Gao*, A. Fu*, S. C. Andrews, P. Yang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Explore other research projects:
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Perovskite Nanostructures
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Nanocrystal Electrocatalysis
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