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Plasmonic lattice lasers

Nature Reviews Materials volume 10, pages 604–616 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Plasmonic lattice lasers offer a promising alternative to compact sources such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. These lasers have an open-cavity design consisting of periodic lattices of metallic nanoparticles that facilitate integration with both liquid-state and solid-state gain nanomaterials. Recent advances have enabled real-time control over lasing wavelength, tunable multimodal lasing, and design of complex polarization and intensity profiles. In this Review, we summarize key developments in plasmonic lattice lasers over the past 5 years, with a focus on unconventional lattice cavities and how they can facilitate tailored lasing characteristics. We discuss strategies for realizing multicolour and multidirectional emission, the advantages of different gain materials and the challenges of reducing lasing thresholds. Although substantial progress has been made, open questions regarding fabrication precision, threshold engineering and the realization of electrically driven plasmonic lasers remain. Plasmonic lattice lasers are poised to play a critical part in next-generation technologies for optical communication, sensing and quantum applications.

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Fig. 1: Overview of plasmonic lattice lasers and timeline of key advances.
Fig. 2: Plasmonic lattice laser fundamentals.
Fig. 3: Optical modes in plasmonic lattice lasers with high-index gain layers.
Fig. 4: Non-trivial polarization state generation from lattice symmetry and unit cell design.
Fig. 5: Multidirectional and multichromatic output generation.
Fig. 6: Laser engineering via functional NPs.
Fig. 7: Polariton lasing from organic and inorganic emitters.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship from the US Department of Defense (DOD N00014-17-1-3023), the National Science Foundation (NSF) under DMR-2207215 and the Office of Naval Research (ONR N00014-21-1-2289). M.J.H.T. and S.-M.P. gratefully acknowledge support from the Ryan Fellowship and the International Institute of Nanotechnology at Northwestern University.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Francisco Freire-Fernández, Sang-Min Park.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Francisco Freire-Fernández, Sang-Min Park, Max J. H. Tan & Teri W. Odom

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  1. Francisco Freire-Fernández
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  2. Sang-Min Park
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Contributions

F.F.-F., S.-M.P. and M.J.H.T. researched data for the article. F.F.-F., S.-M.P. and T.W.O. led the drafting of the manuscript. All authors contributed substantially to the discussion of the content and drafting of the article. F.F.-F., S.-M.P. and T.W.O. reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Teri W. Odom.

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Freire-Fernández, F., Park, SM., Tan, M.J.H. et al. Plasmonic lattice lasers. Nat Rev Mater 10, 604–616 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-025-00803-4

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