Modal refractive index measurement in nanowire lasers—a correlative approach

Abstract

We present a method to correlate multimodal measurements—namely optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy—over large ensembles of randomly distributed single nano-objects. Using an algorithmic approach derived from astrometry, a marker-free method of uniquely associating nano-objects characterised using multiple techniques is described. This approach is applied to nanolasers, enabling an experimental calculation of modal refractive index in sub-micron diameter nanowires. By matching the lasing spectrum and electron microscopy image of 13 nanowire lasers, the refractive index of the TE01 mode in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum well nanolasers is determined to be n g = 4.7 ± 0.3. Show more