Open AccessLasing from MEH-PPV with a refractive index tunable by electron irradiation
Author(s) -
Hyung Jin Lim,
Ju Hyuk Lee,
Heon Yong Jeong,
Sung Oh Cho
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.427396
Subject(s) - lasing threshold , materials science , optics , optoelectronics , laser , irradiation , grating , refractive index , diffraction grating , gain switching , wavelength , physics , nuclear physics
A simple one-step approach to producing a distributed feedback (DFB) laser through selective irradiation of the gain medium, MEH-PPV, is presented. Electron irradiation alters the refractive index of MEH-PPV, thus, direct patterning by electron irradiation can be applied to create a periodic diffraction grating. The non-irradiated regions of MEH-PPV serve as the primary gain medium, while the irradiated regions of MEH-PPV provide the refractive index difference required to fabricate a DFB laser. This method was successfully applied to achieve lasing with a relatively low lasing threshold of 3 kW/cm 2 or 1.8 µJ/cm 2 (pulse width: 600 ps). Furthermore, the lasing wavelength can be finely tuned by simply adjusting the grating period. In stark contrast to the simple one-step process described in this work, conventional procedures for the fabrication of DFB lasers involve multiple steps of varying complexity, including mold creation and careful coating of the substrate with the gain medium.