Telecom-band lasing nanowires at room temperature

Telecom-band single nanowire lasers made by the bottom-up vapor-liquid-solid approach, which is technologically important in optical fiber communication systems, still remain challenging. Here we report telecom-band single nanowire lasers operating at room temperature based on multi-quantum-disk InP/InAs heterostructure nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that highly uniform multi-quantum-disk InP/InAs structure is grown in InP nanowires by self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid mode. Optical excitation of individual nanowires yielded lasing in telecom band operating at room temperature. Moreover, we show the tunability of laser-wavelength range in full telecom band by modulating the thickness of single InAs quantum disks through quantum confinement along the axial direction. The demonstration of telecom-band single nanowire lasers operating at room temperature is a major step forward in providing practical integrable coherent light sources for optoelectronics and data communication.