Advances in the Mode Controls of Electrically Injected Lasers Based on Artificial Microstructures

Electrically injected semiconductor lasers have several advantages over other lasers, such as high electro-optical conversion efficiency, small size, and long lifetime. Recently, the demand for semiconductor lasers has grown in several areas, including displays, material processing, medicine, communication, and other fields. Mode characteristics in lasers can directly modulate their performance, including the output power, beam quality, and spectrum linewidth. The performance of semiconductor lasers can be optimized by introducing artificial microstructures combined with mode control methods, including parity-time symmetry, bound states in the continuum, and compound cavity, which can expand relevant physical research and their commercial applications. In this paper, first, the objective of mode control is introduced. Then, the developments in electrically injected semiconductor lasers, including domestic and international research studies, physical principles, and corresponding applications, are reviewed. Finally, conclusions and future outlooks are discussed.