• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Room-Temperature Laser Emission of ZnO Nanowires Explained by Many-Body Theory

Marijn A. M. Versteegh, Daniël Vanmaekelbergh, and Jaap I. Dijkhuis
Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 157402 – Published 12 April 2012
Physics logo See Synopsis: Nanowire Lasing Explained

Abstract

Are excitons involved in lasing in ZnO nanowires or not? Our recently developed and experimentally tested quantum many-body theory sheds new light on this question. We measured the laser thresholds and Fabry-Pérot laser modes for three radically different excitation schemes. The thresholds, photon energies, and mode spacings can all be explained by our theory, without invoking enhanced light-matter interaction, as is needed in an earlier excitonic model. Our conclusion is that lasing in ZnO nanowires at room temperature is not of excitonic nature, as is often thought, but instead is electron-hole plasma lasing.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 16 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.157402

© 2012 American Physical Society

Synopsis

Key Image

Nanowire Lasing Explained

Published 12 April 2012

A careful reassessment of zinc oxide nanolasers finds that the electrons and holes in the material are not bound together as others have suggested.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Marijn A. M. Versteegh, Daniël Vanmaekelbergh, and Jaap I. Dijkhuis*

  • Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 1, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

  • *j.i.dijkhuis@uu.nl

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 108, Iss. 15 — 13 April 2012

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×