Abstract

NanoLEDs and nanolasers are light emitting devices with characteristic length scales comparable to the wavelength of the emitted light. They are expected to operate at significantly lower powers and higher speeds than their conventional counterparts, which makes them interesting candidates for light emitters in ultrahigh speed optical communication. This is mainly due to the Purcell effect, which increases the spontaneous emission into the nanocavity mode. Early investigations of nanoscale light emitters [1,2] suggest modulation speeds in excess of 100 GHz, however, more work is needed to fully understand the limits and possibilities of these devices.

© 2011 Optical Society of America