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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
11:08
Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
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Lasing optical cavities based on macroscopic scattering elements.
1Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Calle Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Scientific Reports
|January 11, 2017
Summary
Researchers achieved lasing emission using sand grains as scattering elements. The number of lasing modes depends on sand grain surface roughness, offering a novel approach for photonic devices.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Material Science
- Optics and Lasers
Background:
- Lasing requires light confinement and amplification.
- Traditional methods use mirrors, photonic crystals, or nanoparticles.
- Random lasers utilize distributed feedback from embedded nanoparticles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of macroscopic natural scattering materials for laser emission.
- To explore a novel architecture separating scattering elements and active gain media.
- To analyze the effect of scattering media properties on lasing characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a pair of sand grains as feedback elements and output couplers.
- Implementing a spatially separated architecture for scattering nanoparticles and active elements.
- Analyzing the relationship between sand grain surface roughness and lasing modes.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated lasing emission from macroscopic sand grains.
- Showcased that sand grains can function as feedback elements and output couplers.
- Observed that the number of lasing modes is influenced by sand grain surface roughness.
Conclusions:
- Macroscopic natural scattering materials, like sand grains, can facilitate laser emission.
- The surface roughness of scattering elements critically impacts coherent feedback and the emission spectrum.
- This research presents a simple and novel method for creating photonic devices using natural materials.
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