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Two classes of higher-order, fractal spatial eigenmodes have been predicted computationally and observed experimentally in microlasers. The equatorial plane of a close-packed array of microspheres, lying on one mirror within a Fabry-Pérot resonator and immersed in the laser gain medium, acts as a refractive slit array in a plane transverse to the optical axis. Edge diffraction from the slit array generates the high spatial frequencies (>10 4  cm -1 ) required for the formation of high-order laser fractal modes, and fractal transverse modes are generated, amplified, and evolve within the active medium. With a quasi-rectangular (4-microsphere) aperture, the fundamental mode and several higher-order eigenmodes (m = 2,4,5) are observed in experiments, whereas only the m = 1,2 modes are observed experimentally for the higher-loss resonators defined by triangular (3-microsphere) apertures. The fundamental and 2 nd -order modes (m = 1,2) for the 4-sphere aperture are calculated to have qualitatively similar intensity profiles and nearly degenerate resonant frequencies that differ by less than <0.1% of the free-spectral range (375 GHz) but exhibit even and odd parity, respectively. For all of the observed fractal modes, the fractal dimension (D) rises rapidly beyond the intracavity aperture array as a result of the high spatial frequencies introduced into the mode profile. Elsewhere, D varies gradually along the resonator axis and 2.2 < D < 2.5. Generating fractal laser modes in an equivalent optical waveguide is expected to allow the realization of new optical devices and imaging protocols based on the spatial frequencies and variable D values available.

A detailed characterization of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) biomolecular laser, optically pumped in a stable resonator, is reported here. Photoexcitation of the molecule at 355 nm results in lasing over the ~566.5-573.5 nm spectral region, and the threshold pump energy density is measured to be 110 ± 10 µJ/mm 2 for a 10 mM FMN/water solution. Over twenty longitudinal modes are observed when the cavity length L and the energy pump fluence E p are 375 µm and 300 µJ/mm 2 , respectively. Partial substitution of glycerol for water as the solvent results in a factor of four reduction in the threshold pump energy fluence (to < 30 µJ/mm 2 ) and a quadrupling of the slope efficiency. This effect is attributed to the O 2 - mediated photoconversion of FMN molecules in the triplet state to the singlet species. For pump intensities a factor of 2.5 above threshold, the laser pulse width is ~2 ns FWHM, and the output intensity decays exponentially with a photon lifetime of 1.7 ns. The addition of glycerol to a FMN/water solution also suppresses s-polarized emission (yielding P = 0.78 ± 0.08), presumably as a result of the inhibition of FMN rotational diffusion. The sensitivity of the spectral and optical properties of this and other biomolecular lasers to the chemical environment underscores the value of coherent emission as a biochemical or biomedical diagnostic tool, particularly insofar as molecule-molecule interactions are concerned.

Continuous tuning over a 1.6 THz region in the near-infrared (842.5-848.6 nm) has been achieved with a hybrid ring/external cavity laser having a single, optically-driven grating reflector and gain provided by an injection-seeded semiconductor amplifier. Driven at 532 nm and incorporating a photonic crystal with an azobenzene overlayer, the reflector has a peak reflectivity of ~80% and tunes at the rate of 0.024 nm per mW of incident green power. In a departure from conventional ring or external cavity lasers, the frequency selectivity for this system is provided by the passband of the tunable photonic crystal reflector and line narrowing in a high gain amplifier. Sub - 0.1 nm linewidths and amplifier extraction efficiencies above 97% are observed with the reflector tuned to 842.5 nm.