Abstract
A thin layer of palladium (Pd) was deposited on the surface of an etched air hole photonic crystal (PhC) vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) to form a hydrogen gas H 2 sensor. H 2 reacts with Pd, forming PdH \rm x, which induces a shift in the complex refractive index. With Pd on its surface, the reflectivity of the top distributed Bragg reflector depends on the H 2 concentration. We present device operation theory and experimental results showing a 60% output power increase and a 52 pm redshift of the lasing wavelength at 4% H 2. Since the PhC VCSEL laser is single mode and the wavelength shift is comparable to the laser linewidth, the sensor can provide an accurate quantification of the H 2 concentration over the range of 0-4% H 2.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 6044692 |
Pages (from-to) | 160-168 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- Laser sensors
- photonic crystals
- vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering