Enhancing laser cavity design: overcoming finite-size effects in planar photonic crystals

Researchers from Changchun University of Science and Technology and China Jiliang University have introduced two novel strategies to enhance laser cavities using Bound States in the Continuum (BIC):

1. Reflective Boundary Design minimizes mode leakage by adding reflective lattice regions.
2. Graded Photonic Crystal Design smooths transitions by gradually adjusting air hole sizes.

These designs dramatically improved the Q-factor, with the reflective boundary reaching 13,974 and the graded design achieving 92,091. Notably, the team successfully demonstrated a 940 nm electrically pumped BIC laser with a Q-factor of 11,776, marking a breakthrough in practical photonic device applications.

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The work entitled “Performance optimization of planar photonic crystal bound states in the continuum cavities: mitigating finite-size effects” was accepted by Frontiers of Optoelectronics (published on Mar. 14, 2025).