Band-edge lasing in gold-clad photonic-crystal membranes

We investigate the possibility to achieve band-edge lasing in optically thick gold-clad photonic-crystal (PhC) membranes, with a dielectric thickness of around 1 /spl mu/m. We have performed a two-dimensional eigenmode-expansion analysis of band-edge resonators in one-dimensional PhCs. Material thresholds, quality factors, and emission efficiencies have been calculated for TE band-edge laser resonances on the second and third /spl Gamma/-point. The second /spl Gamma/-point sustains band-edge laser modes with quality factors above 2500 for a membrane thickness of 1 /spl mu/m and a cavity length of 20 periods, however, with a very poor surface-emission efficiency. Band-edge laser modes located on the third /spl Gamma/-point have lower quality factors but higher surface-emission efficiencies. In both cases, the PhC should be designed specifically to avoid coupling with lossy, higher order modes.