Due to their small sizes and low threshold, nanolasers play a pivotal role in the field of low-energy scalable photonic technologies. High-speed modulation of nanolasers is needed for their application in data communication, but its implementation has been hampered by the small scales involved, leading to large electrical parasitics. Here we experimentally demonstrate the proof-of-principle of a novel modulation technique, namely, mode-field switching, which unlocks the control of the laser operation via the modulation of the electromagnetic field. In particular, we show that stimulated emission can be inhibited by switching the lasing mode from bright to dark in a three-coupled cavity system. The experimental results are in good agreement with a model that combines coupled-mode theory and rate equations. Using this model, we show that time-dependent detuning schemes enable storage and release of energy under the form of short pulses, placing mode-field switching among the techniques for laser modulation and pulse generation. This scheme is general and can be implemented in every platform displaying coupled and tuneable resonances.

中文翻译：

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纳米激光的模式场切换

由于其体积小，阈值低，纳米激光在低能可扩展光子技术领域中起着举足轻重的作用。纳米激光在其数据通信中的应用需要高速调制，但是由于涉及的小规模阻碍了纳米激光的实现，从而导致了较大的电气寄生效应。在这里，我们通过实验证明了一种新型调制技术的原理证明，即模式场切换，该模式通过电磁场的调制来解锁对激光操作的控制。特别地，我们表明，在三耦合腔系统中，可以通过将激光模式从明亮切换为黑暗来抑制受激发射。实验结果与结合了耦合模式理论和速率方程的模型非常吻合。使用这个模型，我们证明了与时间有关的失谐方案能够以短脉冲的形式存储和释放能量，从而在激光调制和脉冲生成技术之间进行模式场切换。该方案是通用的，可以在显示耦合和可调谐振的每个平台中实施。