Nanoparticle dispersion laser

Lasing action from a dispersion of nanoparticles is reported for the first time to our knowledge. The nanoparticles are Nd(2)O(3) modified with dimethyldichlorosilane (DMDCS) in dimethylsulfoxide. The laser was pumped with a pulsed laser at 802 nm and yielded 2.7 mJ with a slope efficiency of 50%. This was compared to a standard Nd-doped phosphate glass that yielded very similar results in the same setup.