Open AccessRandom lasers from photonic crystal wings of butterfly and moth for speckle-free imaging
Author(s) -
Shih-Wen Chen,
Jin-You Lu,
Bing-Yi Hung,
Matteo Chiesa,
PoHan Tung,
JaHon Lin,
Thomas C.-K. Yang
Publication year - 2021
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.414334
Subject(s) - lasing threshold , photonic crystal , laser , optics , speckle pattern , materials science , random laser , photonic crystal fiber , biological imaging , optoelectronics , physics , wavelength , fluorescence
Several biological membranes have been served as scattering materials of random lasers, but few of them include natural photonic crystals. Here, we propose and demonstrate a facile approach to fabricating high-performance biological photonic crystal random lasers, which is cost-effective and reproducible for mass production. As a benchmark, optical and lasing properties of dye-coated Lepidoptera wings, including Papilio ulysses butterfly and Chrysiridia rhipheus moth, are characterized and show a stable laser emission with a superior threshold of 0.016 mJ/cm 2 , as compared to previous studies. To deploy the proposed devices in practical implementation, we have applied the as-fabricated biological devices to bright speckle-free imaging applications, which is a more sustainable and more accessible imaging strategy.