Open AccessLasing properties of polymerized chiral nematic Bragg onion microlasers
Author(s) -
Matjaž Humar,
Fumito Araoka,
Hideo Takezoe,
Igor Muševič
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.019237
Subject(s) - lasing threshold , materials science , liquid crystal , optoelectronics , laser , refractive index , optics , cholesteric liquid crystal , gain switching , polymerization , polymer , physics , wavelength , composite material
Dye doped photocurable cholesteric liquid crystal was used to produce solid Bragg onion omnidirectional lasers. The lasers were produced by dispersing and polymerizing chiral nematic LC with parallel surface anchoring of LC molecules at the interface, extracted and transferred into another medium. Lasing characteristics were studied in carrier medium with different refractive index. The lasing in spherical cholesteric liquid crystal was attributed to two mechanisms, photonic bandedge lasing and lasing of whispering-gallery modes. The latter can be suppressed by using a higher index carrier fluid to prevent total internal reflection on the interface of the spheres. Pulse-to-pulse stability and threshold characteristics were also studied and compared to non-polymerized lasers. The polymerization process greatly increases the lasing stability.