Band-edge lasers from 2D photonic crystal slabs patterned by self-assembled nanosphere lithography

We demonstrate photonic crystal band-edge laser from a 2D photonic crystal slab of triangular-lattice type, which is patterned by self-assembled colloidal nanosphere lithography. Under pulsed 980-nm optical pumping scheme, a clear laser emission around 1.5 μm was observed. It is expected that this result can provide a new versatile tool for photonic crystal research and a building block for many other photonic materials.