Modification of emission wavelength in organic random lasers based on photonic glass

Control of the emission wavelength of a random laser (RL) system over a 7-nm waveband is demonstrated using a green-emitting π-conjugated polymer infiltrated into a photonic glass formed by nano/micro-size monodisperse silica spheres. The use of a solution-based conjugated polymer enables the complete filling of the voids within the photonic glass without suffering from quenching and the gain can therefore be maximized. The emission wavelength of these structures is set by a combination of the material system spectral gain and of the transport mean free path, the latter being controlled by the mean diameter of the spheres in the nano-scale range. Transport mean free paths of photons in the RL’s active region are calculated using Mie scattering theory and corroborated with coherent backscattering measurements. Further wavelength modification is also possible by changing the pump spot size and the pump fluence.

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► A photonic glass-based organic π-conjugated polymer random laser is reported.
► Control of the lasing emission wavelength is demonstrated.
► Transport mean free paths of photons in random media are calculated by Mie theory.
► Coherent backscattering measurement is conducted.