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A new class of optical sensors: a random laser based device
Emilio Ignesti1, Federico Tommasi1, Lorenzo Fini1
1Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Firenze, Via G. Sansone 1 I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Scientific Reports
|October 12, 2016
Summary
This study introduces a novel random laser sensor for analyzing disordered media, such as biological samples. The new sensor avoids toxic substances, enabling safer and more accurate in-vivo diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Biomedical Sensing
- Disordered Media Analysis
Background:
- Random lasers utilize optical feedback via scattering, making them sensitive to sample properties.
- Existing random laser sensors often require toxic substance injection, limiting in-vivo applications.
- Disordered media, like biological tissues, present challenges for traditional diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a non-toxic, in-vivo compatible random laser sensor.
- To overcome limitations of current diagnostic methods for disordered media.
- To leverage the unique spectral and gain properties of random lasers for enhanced sensing.
Main Methods:
- Designed a random laser sensor with separated gain and diffusion components.
- Experimentally characterized the sensor's performance using a reference diffusive liquid phantom.
- Compared the sensor's efficacy against a passive measurement method.
Main Results:
- The developed random laser sensor successfully analyzed a diffusive liquid phantom.
- The sensor demonstrated advantages over passive methods by utilizing random laser gain and spectral characteristics.
- The new approach avoids altering the sample's physical-chemical composition.
Conclusions:
- A novel, non-invasive random laser sensor has been successfully developed and demonstrated.
- This technology offers a promising alternative for in-vivo diagnostics of disordered media.
- Separating gain and diffusion enhances the sensor's utility and safety for biological applications.
