High finesse thin film lasers

Introduction

Perovskite lasers are on the verge of showing stimulated emission by purely electrical excitation. Passing that milestone, this technology can provide fully wafer integrated light sources and amplifiers. The design of in-plane resonators of SiN or Al₂O₃ is an essential process step to modify internal electric field and achieve the target emission characteristics.  Reducing the mode volume and increasing the photon lifetime in the resonator are equally viable routes to increase the emission rate of these potentially single photon light sources.

It's the goal of this project to adapt existing concepts to thin film perovskite lasers in a first step, targeting visible and near infrared wavelengths. Continuous design improvements are the following steps with the ultimate target of the generation of new ideas and their implementation.

Following these goals, the candidate shall develop strong photonic design skills ideally based on a solid background. Device fabrication, characterization and data analysis are going to be the other main parts of this research project. At each stage, the candidate can rely on the experience of different imec teams at the sites in Gent and Leuven.

Within an unprecedented short time, lead halide perovskites have been proven to be viable candidates for active materials in future optoelectronic devices. They show extraordinary performance as gain media in thin film lasers and withstand extremely high current densities under electrical pumping. At imec, we produce state-of-the-art perovskite thin film lasers and have sophisticated electro-optical characterization setups to gain a deep understanding of these systems.

It is the goal of this PhD, to combine photonic design, thin film device fabrication and their characterization to form perovskite laser diodes with u precedented optical properties for upcoming integrated photonic technologies. This work is supported by the photonics research group and Gent university and the science and technology group of the KU Leuven.

Topic

This PhD is combines photonics design, simulations and characterization with a minor part of device fabrication. You feel comfortable in a lab environment and you are familiar with electrical and optical characterization tools. Overall, you are curious and motivated to explore the fascinating world of perovskite lasers and with their wide range of potential applications – all this in the environment of a leading research institutions. Together we define the relevant target parameters to ensure an efficient development process.

At all stages of the work, you can rely on the support of our highly skilled team of engineers and scientists.

The candidate

You have recently finished your studies with a master’s degree in physics, semiconductor physics, nano-engineering, or related. You are highly motivated to dive with us into the world of micro-and nanolasers based on thin film for optoelectronic devices. You are a hands-on person in a lab environment and have creativity that helps you in your device design and data analysis. You are a team player and have good communication skills as you will work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team. You have the chance to regularly present your results thus getting guidance and feedback from our team. Given the international character of imec, UGent and KU Leuven, an excellent knowledge of English is a must.