Photon localization laser: low-threshold lasing in a random amplifying layered medium via wave localization

We demonstrate low-threshold lasing in random amplifying layered medium via photon localization. Lasing is facilitated by resonant excitation of localized modes at the pump laser wavelength, which are peaked deep within the sample with greatly enhanced intensity. Emission occurs into long-lived localized modes overlapping the localized gain region. This mechanism overcomes a fundamental barrier to reducing lasing thresholds in diffusive random lasers, in which multiple scattering restricts the excitation region to the proximity of the sample surface.     

Frequency behavior of coherent random lasing in diffusive resonant media

We investigate diffusive propagation of light and consequent random lasing in an amplifying medium comprising resonant spherical scatterers. A Monte-Carlo calculation based on photon propagation via three-dimensional random walks is employed to obtain the dwell-times of light in the system. We compare the inter-scatterer and intra-scatterer dwell-times for representative resonant and non-resonant wavelengths. Our results show that more efficient random lasing, with intense coherent modes, is obtained for a system with intra-scatterer gain. This is also coupled with a larger reduction in frequency fluctuations. We find that such a system can yield almost thresholdless random lasing. Inspired by these results, we discuss a possible practical situation, based on a monodisperse aerosol, wherein frequency controlled coherent random lasing can be obtained. Since our analysis essentially investigates transport of intensity, the results are relevant to coherent random lasers under nonresonant feedback.     

Dynamic nonlinear effect on lasing in a random medium

We have studied both experimentally and numerically the dynamic effect of nonlinearity on lasing in disordered medium. The third-order nonlinearity not only changes the frequency and size of lasing modes, but also modifies the laser emission intensity and laser pulse width. When the nonlinear response time is longer than the lifetime of the lasing mode, the nonlinearity changes the laser output through modifying the size of the lasing mode. When the nonlinear response is faster than the buildup of the lasing mode, positive nonlinearity always extracts more laser emission from the random medium due to the enhancement of single particle scattering.     

本征态的局域化与增益介质中局域态的放大

用时域有限差分方法(FDTD)模拟了二维增益、非增益随机介质中的光学现象。在非增益介质中，观察到了局域态空间分布及其频率特征。在增益介质中，观察到局域态的放大过程。模拟结果显示非增益介质中的局域态相当于传统激光腔的腔模，随机激光是由局域态谐振产生的。     

A method to control the polarization of random terahertz lasing in two-dimensional disordered ruby medium

Terahertz (THz) random lasing is studied numerically for two-dimensional disordered media made of ruby grains with a three-level atomic system. A method via the adjustment of the pumping area to control the polarization of the THz wave is proposed. Computed results reveal that transverse electric THz lasing modes could occur if pumping is supplied on the whole medium, while transverse magnetic THz lasing modes could occur if pumping is appropriately supplied on a partial area of the medium.     

ZnO纳米柱无序介质中泵浦面积对局域模发射的影响

基于ZnO纳米柱制备及发光实验,建立了ZnO纳米柱的位置和大小都是无序的二维介质结构模型.通过构建增益模型,用时域有限差分法数值模拟了无序介质中频谱特性以及ZnO增益频谱范围内的某一个共振峰对应的波源在无序介质中的光场分布情况,发现了局域模的存在.分四种情况讨论了此局域模的受激辐射与泵浦面积的关系:改变泵浦功率,从左到...     

Transition from amplified spontaneous emission to laser action in strongly scattering media

In an active random medium, the combination of multiple scattering with light amplification may lead to random laser action. However, it is crucial but sometimes difficult to distinguish between amplified spontaneous emission and lasing. By varying the amount of scattering in an amplifying random medium, we have observed the transition from amplified spontaneous emission to lasing with coherent feedback. We have found out when the transition occurs through the measurement of the scattering mean free path. Our numerical simulation based on the direct solution to Maxwell equations clearly illustrates the transition from light amplification to laser oscillation due to an increase of the amount of scattering in active random medium.     

ZnO纳米柱无序介质中泵浦面积对局域模发射的影响

基于ZnO纳米柱制备及发光实验,建立了ZnO纳米柱的位置和大小都是无序的二维介质结构模型.通过构建增益模型,用时域有限差分法数值模拟了无序介质中频谱特性以及ZnO增益频谱范围内的某一个共振峰对应的波源在无序介质中的光场分布情况,发现了局域模的存在.分四种情况讨论了此局域模的受激辐射与泵浦面积的关系:改变泵浦功率,从左到右依次增加两层ZnO纳米柱泵浦和单独泵浦一个局域区域;泵浦功率一定时,增加泵浦局域区域和非局域区域中ZnO纳米柱个数.结果表明:存在一个临界泵浦功率,当泵浦功率小于临界泵浦功率时,无论泵浦面积多大都不能激发局域模;当泵浦功率大于临界泵浦功率时,对于不同的泵浦功率,局域模被激发所需的临界泵浦面积不同;随着泵浦功率的增加,当泵浦面积一定时,光场相对强度呈递增趋势,当泵浦功率超过临界功率时,光场相对强度急剧上升.     

一维随机介质中准态模式的局域化程度对其阈值的影响

基于将Maxweil方程与四能级原子系统速率方程相结合而建立起的随机激光时域理论,并利用有限时域差分法,研究了一维随机激活介质中激光模式的输出强度与抽运速率之间的关系.结果表明,与传统激光模式相似,随机激光模式的强度随抽运速率的变化不仅具有阈值特性,而且具有饱和特性.用模式的空间区域来表征模式的局域化程度,发现局域化程度越强的模式,阈值越低.不过,这种关系不是一一对应的.这表明模式的局域化程度是决定阈值大小的重要因素,但不是唯一的因素.     

二维随机激光器的模式选择及阈值与饱和特性

基于将Maxwell方程与四能级原子系统速率方程相结合而建立起随机激光时域理论，并利用有限时域差分法，研究了二维随机介质中激光模式的输出特性与介质尺寸、外形及抽运速率等参数的关系.结果表明，与传统激光模式相似，随机激光模式的强度随抽运速率的变化不仅具有阈值特性，而且具有饱和特性.基于模式特性对介质及抽运参数的依赖关系，提出了二维随机激光器的选模方式，在很大程度上不同于传统激光器的选模方式. 关键词： 随机激光器 模式选择 无序介质中的光学特性     

Time dependent theory for random lasers

A model to simulate the phenomenon of random lasing is presented. It couples Maxwell's equations with the rate equations of electronic population in a disordered system. Finite difference time domain methods are used to obtain the field pattern and the spectra of localized lasing modes inside the system. A critical pumping rate P(c)(r) exists for the appearance of the lasing peaks. The number of lasing modes increases with the pumping rate and the length of the system. There is a lasing mode repulsion. This property leads to a saturation of the number of modes for a given size system and a relation between the localization length xi and average mode length L(m).     

Lasing in random media

A random laser is a non-conventional laser whose feedback mechanism is based on disorder-induced light scattering. Depending on whether the feedback supplied by scattering is intensity feedback or amplitude feedback, random lasers are classified into two categories: random lasers with incoherent feedback and random lasers with coherent feedback. A brief survey of random lasers with incoherent feedback is presented. It is followed by a review of our recent experimental work on random lasers with coherent feedback, including measurement of the lasing threshold, lasing spectra, emission pattern, dynamical response, photon statistics, speckle pattern and the investigation of relevant length scales. Large disorder leads to spatial confinement of the lasing modes, that is the foundation for the micro random laser. Some theoretical models of random lasers with coherent feedback are briefly introduced. The study of random lasers improves our understanding of the interplay between light localization and coherent amplification.     

Numerical study of random lasing in three dimensional amplifying disordered media

In this paper, the lasing action in three-dimensional active random systems has been numerically investigated. Here, random systems of spherical dielectric particles imbedded in an active medium are considered. The quasi steady state approximation for the population inversion of the active medium is applied to solve three dimensional governing equations. Results show that when the density of particles increases to an upper limit, the intensity of lasing modes is enhanced. Also, the effects of pumping rate and particle size on the number of lasing modes and their intensity are studied. Lasing threshold of laser modes in different disordered systems is calculated and it is shown that by an appropriate selection of the central frequency of gain line-shape, the output power intensity of random lasers increases. These results are in agreement with the experimental results observed by others.     

Field quantization for chaotic resonators with overlapping modes

Feshbach's projector technique is employed to quantize the electromagnetic field in optical resonators with an arbitrary number of escape channels. We find spectrally overlapping resonator modes coupled due to the damping and noise inflicted by the external radiation field. For wave chaotic resonators the mode dynamics is determined by a non-Hermitean random matrix. Upon including an amplifying medium, our dynamics of open-resonator modes may serve as a starting point for a quantum theory of random lasing.     

Bichromatic coherent random lasing from dye-doped polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystals controlled by pump light polarization

In this paper, we investigate the bichromatic coherent random lasing actions from the dye-doped polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystals. Two groups of lasing peaks, of which the full widith at half maximum is about 0.3 nm, are clearly observed. The shorter- and longer-wavelength modes are associated with the excitation of the single laser dye (DCM) monomers and dimers respectively. The experimental results show that the competition between the two groups of the lasing peaks can be controlled by varying the polarization of the pump light. When the polarization of the pump light is rotated from 0° to 90°, the intensity of the shorter-wavelength lasing peak group reduces while the intensity of the longer-wavelength lasing peak group increases. In addition, a red shift of the longer-wavelength modes is also observed and the physical mechanisms behind the red-shift phenomenon are discussed.     

光子晶体晶粒尺寸和排列结构对随机激光辐射特性的影响

研究了光子晶体对随机激光器的输出特性的调控,并分析了光子晶体的晶粒尺寸和排列结构等对调控作用的影响.对于同一随机介质而言,上下表面用同种材料不同晶粒尺寸的光子晶体覆盖,结果显示:晶粒尺寸合适的光子晶体会使光在系统中来回振荡从而得到很好的放大,使系统中的光与随机增益介质的相互作用加强,激光阈值降低;同时还对激光模式有较强的调制能力,能在一定程度上抑制自发辐射,使之向所需要的频率内辐射.但如果光子晶体的晶粒尺寸与随机增益介质结构匹配不当,则光子晶体对激光模式调制能力较弱,光场能量不能有效地被局域在系统中,系统 关键词： 有限时域差分法 光子晶体 随机激光 辐射特性     

Random laser action in ZnO

We report a direct evidence of random laser in optically pumped ZnO powder. Discrete lasing modes are observed above threshold. The laser emission spectra depend on the angle of observation and are random. The lasing action is attributed to the coherent feedback due to recurrent light scattering in the powder. The lasing threshold intensity depends on the excitation volume. Received: 15 September 1999 / Revised version: 2 February 2000 / Published online: 5 July 2000     

无序介质激光的方向效应

无序介质激光是由该介质的非周期-类结构与相匹配的泵浦光场相互作用时其整体多重散射的干涉效应产生的.因此其局域模不仅与无序介质被泵浦的功率、面积有关,而且与方向有关.本文以ZnO粉末激光为例,运用传输矩阵的方法计算模拟了其局域模谱的方向效应.     

Tuneabilities of localized electromagnetic modes in random nanostructures for random lasing

The modal characteristics of localized electromagnetic waves inside random nanostructures are theoretically presented. It is crucial to know the tuneabilities of the localized modes systematically for demonstrating a specific random lasing application. By use of FDTD (Finite-Difference Time-Domain) method, we investigated the impulse response of two-dimensional random nanostructures consisting of closely packed cylindrical dielectric columns, and precisely analyzed the localized modes. We revealed the tuneability of the frequency of the localized modes by controlling the medium configurations: diameter, spatial density, and refractive index of the cylinders. Furthermore, it is found to be able to tune the Q (quality) factors of the localized modes dramatically by controlling simply the system size of the entire medium. The observed Q factors of approximately 1.6×10⁴ were exhibited in our random disordered structures.