Chaotic waveguide-based resonators for microlasers

Abstract

We propose the construction of highly directional emission microlasers using two-dimensional high-index semiconductor waveguides as open resonators. The prototype waveguide is formed by two collinear leads connected to a cavity of certain shape. The proposed lasing mechanism requires that the shape of the cavity yield mixed chaotic ray dynamics so as to have the appropiate (phase space) resonance islands. These islands allow, via Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the appearance of quasi bound states (QBS) which, in turn, propitiate the lasing mechanism. The energy values of the QBS are found through the solution of the Helmholtz equation. We use classical ray dynamics to predict the direction and intensity of the lasing produced by such open resonators for typical values of the index of refraction.