Quasi-BIC laser enabled by high-contrast grating resonator for gas detection

Abstract: In this work, we propose and numerically investigate a two-dimensional microlaser based on the concept of bound states in the continuum (BIC). The device consists of a thin gain layer (Rhodamine 6G dye-doped silica) sandwiched between two high-contrast-grating layers. The structure supports various BIC modes upon a proper choice of topological parameters; in particular it supports a high-Q quasi-BIC mode when partially breaking a bound state in the continuum at $\Gamma$ point. The optically-pumped gain medium provides sufficient optical gain to compensate the quasi-BIC mode losses, enabling lasing with ultra-low pump threshold (fluence of 17 $\mu$J/cm$^2$) and very narrow optical linewidth in the visible range. This innovative device displays distinguished sensing performance for gas detection, and the emission wavelength sensitively shifts to the longer wavelength with the changing of environment refractive index (in order of $5 \times 10^{-4}$). The achieved bulk sensitivity is 221 nm/RIU with a high signal to noise ratio, and a record-high figure of merit reaches to 4420 RIU$^{-1}$. This ultracompact and low threshold quasi-BIC laser facilitated by the ultra-narrow resonance can serve as formidable candidate for on-chip gas sensor.