Performance optimization of planar photonic crystal bound states in the continuum cavities: mitigating finite-size effects

Abstract

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) offer a promising solution to achieving high-quality factor (Q factor) cavities. However, finite-size effects severely deteriorate the BIC mode in practical applications. This paper reports the experimental demonstration of an electrically pumped 940 nm laser based on optimized BIC cavity, achieving a high Q factor of up to 1.18 × 10⁴ even with finite photonic crystal footprint, which is two orders of magnitude larger than un-optimized BIC design. Two strategies have been systematically investigated to mitigate finite-size effects: reflective photonic crystal cavity design and graded photonic crystal cavity design. Both methods significantly improve the Q factor, demonstrating the effectiveness of preserving BIC characteristics in finite-sized photonic crystal cavities. In addition, the reflective boundary photonic crystal design is fabricated and experimentally characterized to demonstrate its lasing characteristics. The fabricated laser exhibits single-mode operation with a signal-to-noise ratio of 38.6 dB. These results pave the way for future designs of BICs with finite size in real applications, promoting the performance of BIC-based integrated lasers.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Bound states in the continuum / High-quality factor / Graded photonic crystals / Electrical pumped laser

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