Nano Focus: Liquid gain provides real-time tuning of plasmonic lasing
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matching the refractive index of the liquid gain medium with that of the substrate, the lasing wavelength could be tuned over the entire dye bandwidth he advent of the plasmon laser has by changing the dielectric environment. revolutionized how nanoscopic feaTo demonstrate this tunability, the group tures can overcome the diffraction limit constructed a microfluidic channel conof light. A recent collaboration between taining a Au NP array and measured the groups at Northwestern University and lasing emission as they flowed organic Duke University has achieved real-time liquids with different refractive indices dynamic tuning of the plasmon laser’s through the channel while pumping with wavelength. Their groundbreaking rea femtosecond laser. By systematically search produced devices in which the changing the refractive index of the liqemission wavelength was controlled usuid gain medium, they realized reversible ing the surrounding dielectric environdynamic tuning of the lasing wavelength ment of a liquid gain medium rather than over a bandwidth of 50 nm. through physical doping of a solid-state “I think this work is a very clever and medium or using a different dye molecule. creative approach to achieve tunable plasAccording to corresponding author monic lasing in a fluidic environment,” said Teri Odom (Northwestern), the design Jennifer Dionne, an expert in plasmonic of this tunable plasmon laser “breaks materials at Stanford University. She notes, the mold of conventional architectures” “Among several exciting applications, this by using solutions of dye molecules work could enable miniature coherent as the gain medium rather than solidlight sources for microfluidic arrays, and state materials. “Liquid gain provides a also significantly increase the sensitivity simple and robust approach to achieve of lab-on-a-chip sensors. I commend the tunable lasing emission,” she says. “We authors for some very nice experimental and theoretical work.” Although revolutionary, the concept of using a liquid as a gain medium has room for development. In order for this technology to be integrated into current devices, researchers will need to consider both temperature control of the liquid as well as methods to excite the gain medium that do not involve use of a femtosecond laser. If these challenges are met, lasing devices based on liquid gain materials will pave the way for studies of fundamental light/matter interactions and the realization of novel lasing technology. Schematic of a microfluidic device containing an Au nanoparticle array and the emission spectra showing a reversible Tyler W. Farnsworth shift in lasing wavelength with changing refractive index (n); t stands for time. Teri Odom, Northwestern University. Nano Focus
Liquid gain provides real-time tuning of plasmonic lasing
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