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We present a hybrid cavity designed to manipulate lasing modes, consisting of a metal-dielectric core–shell hybrid microcavity fabricated using a simple brush-coating method. Single and multiple modes can be obtained in the proposed laser device by the trade-off between loss and gain. Moreover, we achieve electrically tunable whispering-gallery-mode lasing by employing the thermo-optic effect in the hybrid microcavity. The lasing peak of the modes can be electrically tuned by quantitative control of Joule heating. We measure a tuning rate of 15.3 pm/J for all the lasing peaks.

Distributed feedback (DFB) lasing is observed in a metallic cavity, which consists of a gold grating and a polymer membrane. The gold grating is prepared by evaporating a 25 nm thin film of gold on the photoresist grating fabricated by interference lithography. A 150 nm thick polymer membrane is directly attached on the gold grating, forming a suspended membrane supported by the grating ridge. The assembly method decreases the metallic contact area, which makes the mode more photonic and thereby reduces the ohmic loss of the metal. Low threshold DFB lasing can be achieved when the sample is optically pumped. The fabrication technique provides a facile way to realize plasmonic DFB polymer lasers.

Multi-wavelength polymer lasers are produced with one-dimensional beat structures fabricated with multiple gratings at the same substrate location using interference lithography. As a distributed feedback cavity, the beat structure is equivalent to a linear superposition of multiple grating cavities. Each emission wavelength is determined by the corresponding grating cavity, which implies that interaction between different cavities is very weak. For a beat structure consisting of three gratings, emission peaks at 558 nm, 565 nm, and 569 nm originate from 350-nm, 362-nm, and 374-nm cavities, with thresholds of 14.5 μJ/cm2, 15.0 μJ/cm2, and 13.5 μJ/cm2, respectively. This technique provides an alternative way to design compact polymer lasers.

Dual-wavelength laser emission is achieved by using an active/inactive/active sandwich-like structure, which can be conveniently fabricated using spin coating technique. Poly [(9, 9-dioctylfluorenyl-2, 7-diyl)-alt-co-(1, 4-benzo-(2, 1′, 3) -thiadiazole)] and polyvinyl alcohol are employed as the active and the inactive materials, respectively. Two laser wavelengths are simultaneously observed, which are attributed to the difference of the surrounding refractive index of two active waveguides in the sandwich-like structure. Each wavelength is controlled by the respective waveguide structure, meaning that multi-wavelength laser can be designed by stacking the active/inactive layer pair. These results provide more flexibility to design compact laser sources.

One- and two-dimensional distributed feedback cavities were constructed on free-standing polymer membranes using spin-coating and lift-off techniques. Low threshold lasing was generated through feedback amplification when the 290-nm membrane device was optically pumped, which was attributed to the strong confinement mechanism provided by the active waveguide layer without a substrate. The free-standing membrane polymer laser is flexible and can be transplanted. Single- and dual-wavelength fiber lasers were achieved by directly attaching the membrane polymer laser on the optical fiber end face. This technique provides potential to fabricate polymer lasers on surfaces with arbitrary shapes.

Two types of bimetallic nanoparticle are constructed on soft substrates via a laser-induced transfer technique. One particle is a physical mixture with distinct gold and silver nanoparticles, while the other is a gold-silver alloy nanoparticle. Different hybrid plasmon responses can be achieved by these nanoparticles, which can be attributed to electromagnetic interactions between gold and silver. Both nanostructures can be fabricated using one or two ultraviolet laser pulses. Also, the stability of the spectra of these nanoparticles remains robust when the substrate is stretched and bended. These particles may provide an alternative way to investigate plasmonic sensors and random laser devices.

Blue photoluminescence (PL) of 6H-SiC irradiated by an ultraviolet laser can be observed at room temperature in dark condition. PL spectra with Gaussian fitting curve of the irradiated SiC show that blue luminescence band (∼440 nm) is more pronounced than other bands. The blue PL enhancement is the combined result of the improved shallow N-donor energy level and the unique surface state with Si nanocrystals and graphene/Si composite due to the effect of photon energy input by the short-wavelength laser irradiation. The study can provide a promising route towards the preparation of well-controlled blue photoluminescence material for light-emitting devices.

Angle-resolved emission spectroscopy is employed to investigate the distributed feedback (DFB) mechanisms in active waveguide grating structures with the DFB cavity consisting of a dielectric grating on an active waveguide layer. Laser emission can be achieved at the perfect matching between the resonance mode and the gain spectrum of the DFB cavity. This requires vertical surface-emitting resonance mode and its overlap with the peak of the gain spectrum that is determined by the photoluminescence spectrum of the active medium and the structural parameters of the DFB cavity.

A structure with Dnv point group was fabricated by compounding a gradual heterostructure and a self-simulating sphere. The gradual heterostructure has two-dimensional omnidirectional band gap and the self-simulating sphere makes it possess a complete band gap. The experimental results were explained by theoretical analysis. This kind of structure can be implemented using low refractive index materials.