Open AccessColor changing and lasing stretchable cholesteric films
Author(s) -
Petr Shibaev,
Pierre Rivera,
Dashiell Teter,
Salvatore A. Marsico,
Martin A. Sanzari,
Veena Ramakrishnan,
Eckhard Hanelt
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.002965
Subject(s) - lasing threshold , materials science , optics , laser , optoelectronics , reflection (computer programming) , wavelength , physics , computer science , programming language
Polymer materials able to change reflective properties due to mechanical deformation fundamentally challenge the theory of soft materials and are important for a number of emerging applications. The most promising of those are chiral lasers. In this communication, we report novel cholesteric materials that display large color change from far red to blue and a shift of the position of the selective reflection band under uniaxial strain from near infrared to ultraviolet. Optical pumping of these materials which are doped with laser dyes, leads to lasing at the wavelengths controlled by strain within the emission interval of laser dyes of 80 nm.