Directional whispering gallery mode emission from Limacon-shaped electrically pumped quantum dot micropillar lasers

We experimentally demonstrate directional far field emission from whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in electrically driven quantum dot micropillar lasers. In-plane directionality of whispering gallery mode emission is obtained by patterning micropillars with Limacon-shaped cross-section and an upper air-bridge contact for current injection. The micropillar lasers with radii R-0 down to 4.5 mu m show Q-factors of 40 000 and threshold currents of 40 mu A at low temperature. We achieved a far field divergence of about 30 degrees and a directionality of 1.67 +/- 0.15 for an optimal Limacon deformation factor epsilon approximate to 0.5. Parameter dependent studies of the directional emission as a function of epsilon reveal good qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4733726]