Nanobeam photonic crystal cavity light-emitting diodes

We present results on electrically driven nanobeam photonic crystal cavities formed out of a lateral p-i-n junction in gallium arsenide. Despite their small conducting dimensions, nanobeams have robust electrical properties with high current densities possible at low drive powers. Much like their two-dimensional counterparts, the nanobeam cavities exhibit bright electroluminescence at room temperature from embedded 1250 nm InAs quantum dots. A small room temperature differential gain is observed in the cavities with minor beam self-heating suggesting that lasing is possible. These results open the door for efficient electrical control of active nanobeam cavities for diverse nanophotonic applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3625432]