While most semiconductors operate at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths very few function at the near infrared. But infrared lasers are important for spectroscopy and optical data communication. Saxena and coworkers demonstrate room temperature lasing for a core-shell-cap NW of GaAs-AlGaAs-GaAs. \cite{Saxena_2013} Myer and coworkers also found that a AlGaAs shell inhibits non-radiative surface recombination, which allows for clear near infrared laser production at 10 K.\cite{Mayer_2013}
More recently sub-diffraction limited wavelengths can be achieved by coupling light to surface plasmons, conduction electrons that oscillate collectively at the surface of a metal. Ho and coworkers demonstrate plasmonic lasing from MOCVD grown GaAs−AlGaAs core−shell NW, placed on a silver thin film. Higher order surface plasmon polariton allows for lasing at temperatures up to 125 K.\cite{Ho_2015}