Review of Open Cavity Random Lasers as Laser-Based Sensors

Area of Science:

• Photonics and optical sensing technologies.
• Biomedical engineering and diagnostics.
• Advanced materials and nanophotonics.

Background:

• Fluorescence-based sensing dominates biosensing, but laser-based methods offer superior signal amplification and lower noise.
• Open cavity random lasers provide ultrasensitive detection by responding to minute chemical and temperature variations.
• Narrow emission lines and nonlinear components contribute to the high sensitivity of laser-based sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of open cavity lasing for ultrasensitive sensing applications.
• To highlight innovations in laser-based biosensors as an alternative to fluorescence sensing.
• To provide a comprehensive review of random lasing and its application in biosensing.

Main Methods:

• Explanation of the fundamental concept of random lasing.
• Comparison of various reported lasing thresholds.
• Survey of existing literature on laser-based sensing and biosensors.

Main Results:

• Open cavity random lasers demonstrate high sensitivity to analytes, chemical composition, and temperature.
• Laser-based sensing offers advantages in signal amplification and signal-to-noise ratio.
• The direct probing capability of these lasers is crucial for advanced sensing.

Conclusions:

• Open cavity random lasers present a promising platform for ultrasensitive biosensing.
• This technology can drive significant innovations beyond current fluorescence-based methods.
• Future perspectives for open cavity laser-based sensing are discussed, indicating a strong potential for advancement.