Optically pumped photonic crystal polymer lasers based on [2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)- 1,4-phenylenevinylene]

An experimental study of the lasing characteristics of photonic crystal lasers based on the conjugated polymer 2-methoxy-5-(2'- ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) is reported in this letter. One and two dimensional (1D, 2D) photonic crystal structures were patterned on a glass substrate through interferometric lithography on photoresist layers. A 1.5 microm layer of polymethylglutarimide (PMGI) was deposited to prevent photoxidation of the polymer. Lasing action was observed under optically pumped conditions. Instabilities associated with pumping geometries were demonstrated in the case of 2D photonic crystal laser. As a result, the laser spectrum and threshold gain were found to be strongly dependent on the excitation geometry. The broad spectrum of the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) allows laser tunability by engineering the effective refractive index of the devices or by controlling the periodicity of the photonic crystal.