Hentschel, MartinaBelkin, Mikhail A.Audet, RossCapasso, Federico2010-02-122009Hentschel, Martina, Tae-Yoon Kwon, Mikhail A. Belkin, Ross Audet, and Federico Capasso. 2009. Angular emission characteristics of quantum cascade spiral microlasers. Optics Express 17(12): 10335-10343.1094-4087http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3634151We perform ray and wave simulations of passive and active spiral-shaped optical microcavities, comparing our results to experimental data obtained with mid-infrared quantum cascade spiral microlasers. Focusing on the angular emission characteristics, we find that both ray and wave simulations are consistent with the experimental data, showing richly-featured, multidirectional far-field emission patterns in the case of uniform pumping and TM-polarized light. Active cavity simulations using the Schr¨odinger-Bloch model indicate that selective pumping of the quantum cascade spiral microlasers near the resonator boundary will yield unidirectional laser emission.en-USJournal Article10.1364/OE.17.010335