Low-Threshold and High Intensity Random Lasing Enhanced by MnCl₂

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Energy transfer significantly impacts random laser dynamics.
• The specific role of energy transfer between metallic salts and dye molecules in random lasers remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate random lasing actions in systems incorporating Pyrromethene-597 (PM597) dye and manganese (II) chloride (MnCl₂).
• To elucidate the influence of MnCl₂ on random lasing characteristics, including threshold, intensity, spectral properties, and cavity effects.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of PM597-doped and PM597-doped MnCl₂ systems, including polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) matrices.
• Analysis of random lasing performance using emission spectra and power Fourier transform (PFT).

Main Results:

• Systems with MnCl₂ exhibited lower lasing thresholds, higher intensities, sharper peaks, and variable resonance wavelengths compared to systems without MnCl₂.
• Energy transfer between MnCl₂ and PM597 was found to reduce fluorescence quenching and enhance local fields.
• A red-shift in wavelength was observed with increasing MnCl₂ concentration in PM597-doped PDLC with MnCl₂.
• MnCl₂ plays a role in coupling lasing modes and influences the oscillation cavity length.

Conclusions:

• MnCl₂ incorporation significantly optimizes random lasing performance in PM597-based systems.
• Energy transfer mechanisms involving MnCl₂ are crucial for enhancing random laser efficiency and tunability.
• The study provides insights into controlling random laser cavity dynamics through metallic salt doping.