Multi-Wavelength Upconversion Lasers Based on Coordination Polymer Glass Incorporating Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics and Photonics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Upconversion microlasers are crucial for advanced photonic devices.
• Current designs using polymers or oxide glasses face limitations like poor thermal stability, high processing temperatures, and scattering losses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, low-temperature-processable host material for upconversion microlasers.
• To enable uniform and stable incorporation of upconversion nanocrystals into microcavities.
• To demonstrate efficient multiwavelength upconversion lasing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a coordination polymer (CP) glass, ZnCl2(bIm)2, as a host material.
• Incorporation of NaYF4@NaYbF4:Tm3+ upconversion nanocrystals into the CP glass.
• Characterization of lasing performance under 980 nm continuous-wave pumping.

Main Results:

• Achieved efficient, multiwavelength upconversion lasing in the visible-to-near-infrared (NIR) region.
• Demonstrated an ultra-low lasing threshold of 140 nW for Tm3+.
• Showcased the universality of the strategy with Er3+ and Ho3+-activated glasses.

Conclusions:

• The developed coordination polymer glass offers a versatile platform for lanthanide-based microlasers.
• This approach overcomes limitations of traditional materials, enabling high-performance, stable, and compact photonic devices.
• The findings pave the way for next-generation optical technologies.