Unidirectional Lasing from Template-Stripped Two-Dimensional Plasmonic Crystals

Plasmon lasers support cavity structures with sizes below that of the diffraction limit. However, most plasmon-based lasers show bidirectional lasing emission or emission with limited far-field directionality and large radiative losses. Here, we report unidirectional lasing from ultrasmooth, template-stripped two-dimensional (2D) plasmonic crystals. Optically pumped 20 plasmonic crystals (Au or Ag) surrounded by dye molecules exhibited lasing in a single emission direction and their lasing wavelength could be tuned by modulating the dielectric environment. We found that 20 plasmonic crystals were an ideal architecture to screen how nanocavity unit-cell structure, metal material, and gain media affected the lasing response. We discovered that template-stripped strong plasmonic materials with cylindrical posts were an optimal cavity design for a unidirectional laser operating at room temperature.