Random laser action is demonstrated in two kinds of powder samples containing rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) doped SiO2 nanoparticles which are either directly dispersed within pure silica particles or embedded in a silica gel matrix which is subsequently ground. Both organic-inorganic hybrid materials present different laser thresholds and emission features which are systematically studied and compared. The dependence of the emission kinetics, emission spectrum, random laser threshold and slope efficiency on the dye doped nanoparticles concentration is investigated in both cases. We also explore if the incorporation of additional TiO₂ scatterers could enhance the random laser operation of the studied systems.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

1. V. S. Letokhov, "Stimulated emission of an ensemble of scattering particles with negative absorption," JETP Lett. 5, 212-215 (1967).
2. Q1. D. S. Wiersma, "The physics and applications of random lasers," Nature Physics 4, 359-367 (2008). [CrossRef]
3. M. A. Noginov, Solid-State Random Lasers, (Springer, Berlin, 2005).
4. H. Cao, "Lasing in random media," Waves Random Media 13, R1-R39 (2003). [CrossRef]
5. S. Mujumdar, V. Turck, R. Torre, and D. S. Wiersma, "Chaotic behavior of a random laser with static disorder," Phys. Rev. A 76, 033807 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. S. John and G. Pang, "Theory of lasing in a multiple-scattering medium," Phys. Rev. A 54, 3642-3652 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. D. S. Wiersma and A. Lagendijk, "Light diffusion with gain and random lasers," Phys. Rev. E 54, 4256-4265 (1996). [CrossRef]
8. X. Jiang and C. M. Soukoulis, "Time dependent theory for random lasers," Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 70-73 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. A. L. Burin, M. A. Ratner, H. Cao, and R. P. H. Chang, "Model for a random laser," Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 215503 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. N. M. Lawandy, R. M. Balachandran, A. S. L. Gomes, and E. Sauvain, "Laser action in strongly scattering media," Nature 368, 436-438 (1994). [CrossRef]
11. W. L. Sha, C. H. Liu, and R. R. Alfano, "Spectral and temporal measurements of laser action of Rhodamine 640 dye in strongly scattering media," Opt. Lett. 19, 1922-1924 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. M. A. Noginov, H. J. Caulfield, N. E. Noginova, and P. Venkateswarlu, "Line narrowing in the dye solution with scattering centers," Opt. Commun. 118, 430-437 (1995). [CrossRef]
13. S. García-Revilla, J. Fernández, M. A. Illarramendi, B. García-Ramiro, R. Balda, H. Cui, M. Zayat, and D. Levy, "Ultrafast random laser emission in a dye-doped silica gel powder," Opt. Express 16, 12251-12263 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. S. García-Revilla, J. Fernández, R. Balda, M. Zayat, and D. Levy, "Real-time spectroscopy of novel solid-state random lasers," Proc. SPIE 7212, K1-11 (2009).
15. K. Totsuka, M. A. I. Talukder, M. Matsumoto, and M. Tomita, "Excitation-power-dependent spectral shift in photoluminescence in dye molecules in strongly scattering optical media," Phys. Rev. B 59, 50-53 (1999). [CrossRef]
16. H. Z. Wang, F. L. Zhao, Y. J. He, X. G. Zheng, X. G. Huang, and M. M. Wu, "Low-threshold lasing of a Rhodamine dye solution embedded with nanoparticle fractal aggregates," Opt. Lett. 23, 777-779 (1998). [CrossRef]
17. G. Beckering, S. J. Zilker, and D. Haarer, "Spectral measurements of the emission from highly scattering gain media," Opt. Lett. 22, 1427-1429 (1997). [CrossRef]
18. F. Shuzhen, Z. Xingyuk, W. Qingpu, Z. Chen, W. Zhengping, and L. Ruijun, "Inflection point of the spectral shifts of the random lasing in dye solution with TiO2 nanoscatterers," J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42, 015105 (2009). [CrossRef]
19. M. Siddique, R. R. Alfano, G. A. Berger, M. Kempe, and A. Z. Genack, "Time-resolved studies of stimulated emission from colloidal dye solutions," Opt. Lett. 21, 450-452 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. G. Zacharakis, G. Heliotis, G. Filippidis, D. Anglos, and T. G. Papazoglou, "Investigation of the laserlike behavior of polymeric scattering gain media under subpicosecond laser excitation," Appl. Opt. 38, 6087-6092 (1999). [CrossRef]
21. A. Anedda, C. M. Carbonaro, R. Corpino, P. C. Ricci, S. Grandi, and P. C. Mustarelli, "Formation of fluorescent aggregates in Rhodamine 6G doped silica glasses," J. Non-Crys Sol. 353, 481-485 (2007). [CrossRef]
22. Q2. G. Hungerford, K. Suhling, and J. A. Ferreira, "Comparison of the fluorescence behaviour of rhodamine 6G in bulk and thin film tetraethylorthosilicate derived sol-gel matrices," J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 129, 71-80 (1999). [CrossRef]
23. F. Del Monte, J. D. Mackenzie, and D. Levy, "Rhodamine fluorescent dimers adsorbed on the porous surface of silica gels," Langmuir 16, 7377-7382 (2000). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• G. Zacharakis, G. Heliotis, G. Filippidis, D. Anglos, and T. G. Papazoglou, "Investigation of the laserlike behavior of polymeric scattering gain media under subpicosecond laser excitation," Appl. Opt. 38, 6087-6092 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Non-Crys Sol.

• A. Anedda, C. M. Carbonaro, R. Corpino, P. C. Ricci, S. Grandi, and P. C. Mustarelli, "Formation of fluorescent aggregates in Rhodamine 6G doped silica glasses," J. Non-Crys Sol. 353, 481-485 (2007). [CrossRef]

J. Photochem. Photobiol. A

• Q2. G. Hungerford, K. Suhling, and J. A. Ferreira, "Comparison of the fluorescence behaviour of rhodamine 6G in bulk and thin film tetraethylorthosilicate derived sol-gel matrices," J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 129, 71-80 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

• F. Shuzhen, Z. Xingyuk, W. Qingpu, Z. Chen, W. Zhengping, and L. Ruijun, "Inflection point of the spectral shifts of the random lasing in dye solution with TiO2 nanoscatterers," J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42, 015105 (2009). [CrossRef]

JETP Lett.

• V. S. Letokhov, "Stimulated emission of an ensemble of scattering particles with negative absorption," JETP Lett. 5, 212-215 (1967).

Langmuir

• F. Del Monte, J. D. Mackenzie, and D. Levy, "Rhodamine fluorescent dimers adsorbed on the porous surface of silica gels," Langmuir 16, 7377-7382 (2000). [CrossRef]

Nature

• N. M. Lawandy, R. M. Balachandran, A. S. L. Gomes, and E. Sauvain, "Laser action in strongly scattering media," Nature 368, 436-438 (1994). [CrossRef]

Nature Physics

• Q1. D. S. Wiersma, "The physics and applications of random lasers," Nature Physics 4, 359-367 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• M. A. Noginov, H. J. Caulfield, N. E. Noginova, and P. Venkateswarlu, "Line narrowing in the dye solution with scattering centers," Opt. Commun. 118, 430-437 (1995). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• S. García-Revilla, J. Fernández, M. A. Illarramendi, B. García-Ramiro, R. Balda, H. Cui, M. Zayat, and D. Levy, "Ultrafast random laser emission in a dye-doped silica gel powder," Opt. Express 16, 12251-12263 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• M. Siddique, R. R. Alfano, G. A. Berger, M. Kempe, and A. Z. Genack, "Time-resolved studies of stimulated emission from colloidal dye solutions," Opt. Lett. 21, 450-452 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Z. Wang, F. L. Zhao, Y. J. He, X. G. Zheng, X. G. Huang, and M. M. Wu, "Low-threshold lasing of a Rhodamine dye solution embedded with nanoparticle fractal aggregates," Opt. Lett. 23, 777-779 (1998). [CrossRef]
• G. Beckering, S. J. Zilker, and D. Haarer, "Spectral measurements of the emission from highly scattering gain media," Opt. Lett. 22, 1427-1429 (1997). [CrossRef]
• W. L. Sha, C. H. Liu, and R. R. Alfano, "Spectral and temporal measurements of laser action of Rhodamine 640 dye in strongly scattering media," Opt. Lett. 19, 1922-1924 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• S. Mujumdar, V. Turck, R. Torre, and D. S. Wiersma, "Chaotic behavior of a random laser with static disorder," Phys. Rev. A 76, 033807 (2007). [CrossRef]
• S. John and G. Pang, "Theory of lasing in a multiple-scattering medium," Phys. Rev. A 54, 3642-3652 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• K. Totsuka, M. A. I. Talukder, M. Matsumoto, and M. Tomita, "Excitation-power-dependent spectral shift in photoluminescence in dye molecules in strongly scattering optical media," Phys. Rev. B 59, 50-53 (1999). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E

• D. S. Wiersma and A. Lagendijk, "Light diffusion with gain and random lasers," Phys. Rev. E 54, 4256-4265 (1996). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• X. Jiang and C. M. Soukoulis, "Time dependent theory for random lasers," Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 70-73 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. L. Burin, M. A. Ratner, H. Cao, and R. P. H. Chang, "Model for a random laser," Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 215503 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. SPIE

• S. García-Revilla, J. Fernández, R. Balda, M. Zayat, and D. Levy, "Real-time spectroscopy of novel solid-state random lasers," Proc. SPIE 7212, K1-11 (2009).

Waves Random Media

• H. Cao, "Lasing in random media," Waves Random Media 13, R1-R39 (2003). [CrossRef]

Other

• M. A. Noginov, Solid-State Random Lasers, (Springer, Berlin, 2005).

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Scattering delay time of Mie scatterers determined from steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopy (JOSAA)
• Amplifying volume in scattering media (OL)
• Haar Transform Analysis of Photon Time-Of-Flight Measurements for Quantification of Optical Properties in Scattering Media (AO)
• Ultrafast random laser emission in a dye-doped silica gel powder (OE)
• Real time random laser properties of Rhodamine-doped di-ureasil hybrids (OE)

Related Conference Papers

• Nonresonant Feedback Formation in the Random Laser
• Light Propagation in Tunable Photonic Materials
• Effective optical properties of two-layered turbid media using the frequency-domain multi-distance method
• Random lasers as fascinating new light sources
• Spectra super-narrowing and random lasing dynamics in neat and TiO₂-doped polymer films