Soft-matter-based topological vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Wang, Yu (author), Xia, Shiqi (author), Xie, Qun (author), Yang, Donghao (author), Shao, Jingbin (author), Zhang, Xinzheng (author), Drevenšek Olenik, Irena (author), Wu, Qiang (author), Chen, Zhigang (author), Xu, Jingjun (author)

Polarized topological vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are promising candidates for stable and efficient on-chip light sources, with significant potential for advancing optical storage and communication technologies. However, most semiconductor-based topological lasers rely on intricate fabrication techniques and face limitations in providing the flexibility needed for diverse device applications. By drawing an analogy to two-dimensional Semenov insulators and the quantum valley Hall effect in a synthetic parameter space, we design and realize a one-dimensional optical superlattice using stacked polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal films and Mylar films. Such a one-dimensional optical superlattice is achieved by using films spin-coated with a Pyrromethene 597 solution, thus enabling the demonstration of a structure-flexible, low threshold, and circularly-polarized topological VCSEL. We demonstrate that such a topological VCSEL maintains excellent single-mode operation at low pump power, and its spatial profile aligns closely with that of the pump laser. Thanks to the soft-matter-based metastructure, the topological laser can be “attached” to substrates of various shapes, maintaining desired laser properties and beam steering even after undergoing multiple bends. These characteristics make the demonstrated topological laser ideal for applications in consumer electronics, laser scanning, displays, and photonic wearable devices, where both flexibility and performance are crucial.

• Language: English
• Keywords: optics, photonics, lasers, liquid crystals
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, art. no. 27
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177744
• UDC: 535
• ISSN on article: 2047-7538
• DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02011-9
• COBISS.SI-ID: 263450115
• Publication date in RUL: 06.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Light, science & applications
• Shortened title: Light sci. appl.
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2047-7538
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523258905

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: optika, fotonika, laserji, tekoči kristali