Laser spectroscopic investigation of a new precursor-type polyparaphenylenevinylene

Optical, structural and morphological properties of thin films of polyparaphenylenevinylene (PPV) formed by an alkyl sulfinyl precursor route have been studied. Thin films were fabricated on an optical glass and on quartz glass either by spin-coating of the precursor solution or by layer-by-layer deposition using Langmuir–Blodgett technique. PPV precursor films were also spin-coated on gold-coated glass in order to study thin-film optical parameters by surface plasmon spectroscopy. We have been successful in forming about 40 precursor mono layers on quartz glass by Langmuir–Blodgett technique using optimized surface pressure and dipping conditions. After thermal conversion of the precursor layers good quality fluorescent PPV films of yellow colour have been obtained. Optical characterization of the films was carried out by linear absorption and emission spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and surface plasmon spectroscopy. Structural and morphological studies on the thin films were carried out by using X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy. Wave-guided travelling-wave laser action has been achieved in a PPV film on quartz glass. The sample was transversally pumped with picosecond laser pulses (wavelength 347.15 nm, duration 35 ps). Laser emission occurred at 550 nm for pump pulse energy densities above .     

Synthesis, morphology and random laser action of ZnO nanostructures

Three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO random-wall nanostructures and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanorods were prepared on silicon substrates by a simple solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique. Optical pumped random lasing has been observed in the ZnO random-wall arrays with a threshold intensity of 0.38 MW/cm² in the emission wavelength from 380 to 395 nm. The optical gain was attributed to the closed-loop scattering and light amplification of the ZnO random-wall. The experimental result suggests that the morphology of nanostructure is the key factor to effect random lasing.     

Sol-gel-derived micron scale optical fibers for chemical sensing

We report for the first time on the preparation of organically-doped room temperature processed sol-gel-derived micron scale optical fibers as platforms for chemical- and bio-sensors. Micron scale optical fibers are drawn from fluorescent dye-doped tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)-derived sol-gel solution processed under ambient conditions. Such a simple methodology to entrap organic and even bioactive species within the optical fiber offers many advantages over more conventional ways of immobilizing organic probes for the development of optical sensors. Specifically, we report on the photophysical properties of fluorescein (a pH sensitive fluorescent dye) and rhodamine 6G (R6G; laser dye) entrapped within sol-gel-derived optical fibers. We present the preliminary results on the viability of such doped optical fibers for chemical sensing. Our results demonstrate that a fluorescein-doped sol-gel-derived optical fiber responds to ammonia and acid vapors with a response time of 1–2 seconds.     

Strong Coupling and Laser Action of Ladder‐Type Oligo(p‐phenylene)s in a Microcavity

We investigate the coupling of ladder‐type quarterphenyl to the photon modes of a dielectric ZrO_x/SiO_x microcavity at ultraviolet wavelengths. For a relatively long cavity (≈10 μm) with high‐reflectivity mirrors (0.998), optically pumped laser action is demonstrated in the weak‐coupling regime. We observe single‐mode operation with a threshold of 0.4 mJ cm^?2. Strong coupling is achieved by using a short λ/2 cavity. We find pronounced anti‐crossing features of the molecular (0,0) and (0,1) vibronic transitions and the cavity mode in angle‐dependent reflectivity measurements providing Rabi splittings of (90±10) meV. All these features occur spectrally resonant to the exciton transition of ZnO demonstrating the potential of ladder‐type oligo(p‐phenylene)s for the construction of inorganic/organic hybrid microcavities.     

A three-layer egg-configurated Bragg microcavity of polyglycerol coated cholesteric-liquid-crystal encapsulated by hollow-glass-microsphere

ABSTRACT

This letter reports the optical pumped lasing behaviours of a three-layer Bragg resonance cavity consisting of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (DDCLC) microdroplet, polyglycerol-2 and hollow glass microsphere. The function of PG2 is to control the parallel anchoring of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules on the surface of the LC microdroplet. The whispering-gallery mode (WGM), radial Bragg (photonic bandgap, PBG) mode and Bragg WGM (BWGM) are observed in DDCLC microspheres with different helical pitches and LC refractive indices. The formation mechanisms of six types of lasing emission conditions are analysed in detail. The study results present the prospect of controlling the output mode of the laser. Furthermore, such solid shell-based DDCLC microspheres have outstanding potential applications in miniaturised 3D Bragg lasers, sensors, and integrated and tunable optical devices.     

Spatially and electrically tunable random lasing based on a polymer-stabilised blue phase liquid crystal-wedged cell

ABSTRACT

We demonstrate a spatially and electrically tunable random lasing based on polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (PS-BPLC)-wedged cell. The spatially tunable random lasers can be obtained from the laser dye-doped PS-BPLC-wedged cell through changing the pump positions, where the emission wavelength of the random laser can be tuned due to the thickness gradient of the wedged cell, which affects the scattering mean free path. Additionally, applying different electric fields can also tune the laser emission wavelength. The changing of refractive index due to the Kerr effect leads to a change in the scattering mean free path, resulting in shift of lasing wavelength. This PS-BPLC-wedged cell device has a great potential in applications of speckle-free imaging, document coding, biomedicine and other photonic devices.     

Actively mode-locked dual-wavelength fiber laser with close wavelength spacing using a fiber Bragg grating

A simple actively mode-locked fiber ring laser is proposed and successfully demonstrated to generate dual-wavelength picosecond pulses with close wavelength spacing using one Bragg grating in standard single-mode fiber. The proposed laser can be made to operate in stable dual-wavelength at room temperature, due to the birefringence characteristic of the FBG induced by transverse strain. Transverse strain loading on the FBG allows the wavelength spacing to be controlled. Generation of stable dual-wavelength pulses with a pulsewidth of 212–234 ps and a tunable wavelength separation from 0.2 to 0.44 nm at a pulse rate of 1.05 GHz was demonstrated.     

染料掺杂光子晶体荧光带隙边缘的激射研究

利用激光全息光刻技术, 在重铬酸盐明胶 感光材料中制备了掺杂有机染料的层状光子晶体. 在532 nm纳秒脉冲激光激励下, 样品的荧光光谱表现出良好的带隙特征; 随着抽运能量的增加, 在荧光带隙带边位置获得了激射光, 并进一步研究了光子晶体的带边位置与染料荧光峰的匹配对激射的影响.带边位置越靠近染料的荧光峰, 激射阈值越低, 反之则不易产生激射.该研究为超低阈值光子晶体激光器的发展提供了思路和方法. 关键词： 全息光刻 光子晶体 荧光带隙 低阈值激射     

应用于2.1μm激光的Tm~(3+)/Ho~(3+)共掺氟碲酸盐微结构光纤研究

采用棒管法制备了低羟基含量的Tm~(3+)/Ho~(3+)共掺氟碲酸盐微结构光纤。当使用波长为1 560 nm的激光器泵浦Tm~(3+)/Ho~(3+)共掺光纤时,处于Tm~(3+)基态3H6的电子被激发至3F4能级,进一步通过Tm~(3+)和Ho~(3+)间的能量传递过程3F4→3H6(Tm~(3+)):5I8→5I7(Ho~(3+))(能量失配为745 cm-1)布居Ho~(3+)的5I7能级,5I7能级上的电子向5I8能级跃迁发射出2.1μm的光。使用1 560 nm光纤激光器作为泵浦源,18 cm长的Tm~(3+)/Ho~(3+)氟碲酸盐微结构光纤作为增益介质,获得了波长为2 063 nm的激光输出。所得激光的斜率效率为12.9%,激光阈值为163 m W,未饱和的最大输出功率为40 m W。研究结果表明,Tm~(3+)/Ho~(3+)共掺氟碲酸盐微结构光纤可用于制作2.1μm光纤激光器。     

Transformation of the spectrum of the longitudinal modes of a semiconductor laser on introduction of its radiation into fiber light guides

We investigated the influence exerted by the radius of the bend of fiber light guides with light-transmitting cores of different diameters on the transformation of the spectrum of longitudinal modes of the semiconductor laser radiation introduced into them. It is shown that the bended segment of the light guide acts as a spectrum selector, and the spectral composition of the radiation at the output of a light guide is different in different spots of the speckle structure. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 260–263, March–April, 2000.