Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity

Organic lasers that emit light in the deep-red and near-infrared(NIR)region are of essential importance in laser communication,night vision,bioimaging,and information-secured displays but are still challenging because of the lack of proper gain materials.Herein,a new molecular design strategy that operates by merging two excited-state intramolecular proton transfer-active molecules into one excited-state double proton transfer(ESDPT)-active molecule was demonstrated.Based on this new strategy,three new materials were designed and synthesized with two groups of intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds,in which the ESDPT process was proven to proceed smoothly based on theoretical calculations and experimental results of steady-state and transient spectra.Benefiting from the effective six-level system constructed by the ESDPT process,all newly designed materials showed low threshold laser emissions at approximately 720 nm when doped in PS microspheres,which in turn proved the existence of the second proton transfer process.More importantly,our well-developed NIR organic lasers showed high laser stability,which can maintain high laser intensity after 12000 pulse lasing,which is essential in practical applications.This work provides a simple and effective method for the development of NIR organic gain materials and demonstrates the ESDPT mechanism for NIR lasing.

Near-infrared organic lasers with ultra-broad emission bands by simultaneously harnessing four-level and six-level systems

Organic lasers with broad emission bands in near-infrared(NIR)region are crucial for their applications in laser communication,night-vision as well as bioimaging owing to the abundance of selectable lasing wavelengths.However,for most organic gain materials,gain regions are limited in a small wavelength range because of the fixed energy level systems.Herein,we design a strategy to realize NIR organic lasers with broad emission bands based on tunable energy level systems induced by cascaded excited-state intramolecular proton transfer(ESIPT).A novel gain material named DHNN was developed,which can undergo a cascaded double-ESIPT process supporting four-level and six-level systems simultaneously.By doping DHNN into polystyrene microspheres,NIR lasers with tunable emission bands can be achieved based on the careful modulation of microcavities.Finally,organic lasers with an ultra-broad emission band ranging from 700 nm to 900 nm was successfully achieved by harnessing four-level and six-level systems simultaneously.

Wavelength-tunable organic semiconductor lasers based on elastic distributed feedback gratings

Wavelength-tunable organic semiconductor lasers based on mechanically stretchable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gratings were developed. The intrinsic stretchability of PDMS was explored to modulate the period of the distributed feedback gratings for fine tuning the lasing wavelength. Notably, elastic lasers based on three typical light-emitting molecules show com-parable lasing threshold values analogous to rigid devices and a continuous wavelength tunability of about 10 nm by mechanic-al stretching. In addition, the stretchability provides a simple solution for dynamically tuning the lasing wavelength in a spec-tral range that is challenging to achieve for inorganic counterparts. Our work has provided a simple and efficient method of fab-ricating tunable organic lasers that depend on stretchable distributed feedback gratings, demonstrating a significant step in the advancement of flexible organic optoelectronic devices.

An ultra-narrow linewidth solution-processed organic laser

Optically pumped lasers based on solution-processed thin-film gain media have recently emerged as low-cost,broadly tunable,and versatile active photonics components that can fit any substrate and are useful for,e.g.,chemo-or biosensing or visible spectroscopy.Although single-mode operation has been demonstrated in various resonator architectures with a large variety of gain media-including dye-doped polymers,organic semiconductors,and,more recently,hybrid perovskites-the reported linewidths are typically on the order of a fraction of a nanometer or broader,i.e.,the coherence lengths are no longer than a few millimeters,which does not enable high-resolution spectroscopy or coherent sensing.The linewidth is fundamentally constrained by the short photon cavity lifetime in the standard resonator geometries.We demonstrate here a novel structure for an organic thin-film solid-state laser that is based on a vertical external cavity,wherein a holographic volume Bragg grating ensures both spectral selection and output coupling in an otherwise very compact(,cm3)design.Under short-pulse(0.4 ns)pumping,Fourier-transform-limited laser pulses are obtained,with a full width at half-maximum linewidth of 900 MHz(1.25 pm).Using 20-ns-long pump pulses,the linewidth can be further reduced to 200 MHz(0.26 pm),which is four times above the Fourier limit and corresponds to an unprecedented coherence length of 1m.The concept is potentially transferrable to any type of thin-film laser and can be ultimately made tunable;it also represents a very compact alternative to bulky grating systems in dye lasers.

PhotobleaChing Influence in Different Phases for Coumarin 307 and Acriflavine Laser Dyes

Under high-excitation irradiance conditions to induce fluorescence, the dependence of photobleaching of Coumarin 307 （C307） and acriflavine （ACF） laser dyes in liquid and solid phases have been studied. A cw LD laser source of 1 mW and 407 nm wavelength was used as an exciting source. For one hour exposure time, it was found that the solid dye samples suffer photobleaching more than the liquid dye samples. This is because in liquid solutions the dye molecules can circulate during the irradiation, while the photobleaching is a serious problem when the dye is incorporated into solid matrix and cannot circulate.

An Optically Reconfigurable Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Process for Broadband Switchable Organic Single-Mode Microlasers

Miniaturized lasers with multicolor output and high spectral purity are indispensable for various ultracompact photonic devices.Here,we propose an optically reconfigurable Förster resonance energy transfer(FRET)process to realize broadband switchable single-mode lasing based on in situ activation of acceptors.The stoichiometric ratio of the donor and acceptor in the ready-made microstructures could be modulated readily by precisely activating the acceptors through a photoisomerization process,leading to a reconstructed FRET process to achieve dynamically switchable lasing.Furthermore,dual-color switchable single-mode lasing was realized by selectively constructing the FRET process in an identical coupled microdisks system.These results advance a comprehensive understanding of excited-state dynamics in organic composite material systems,thereby providing new ideas for the rational design of miniaturized photonic materials and devices with desired performances.

The study of nanojoule femtosecond laser ablation on organic glass

The Ti:sapphire oscillator is used to realize structural change in an organic glass (polymethyl -methacrylate (PMMA)). Single pulse fluence threshold of PMMA and the relation of the breakdown threshold with different numerical aperture objectives are determined using a formula deduced from an existent equation. Three-dimensional dots in the organic glass is performed at the same time.

Organic Near-Infrared Luminescent Materials Based on Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Process

Organic near-infrared(NIR)luminescent materials have captured intense research interest owing to their potential applications in optical communication,data storage,bioimaging,sensing and night vision.Excited state intramolecular proton transfer(ESIPT)process with absorption in normal form while emission in tautomer form can lead to a distinct redshift emission,based on which,a lot of organic NIR luminescent materials were designed.Because of attractive features such as ultrahigh sensitivity to the surroundings,large Stokes shift,and inherent four level system,ESIPT based NIR luminescent materials are supposed to be ideal fluorescent probes and gain materials.In this review,first,organic near-infrared luminescent materials based on ESIPT process are summarized according to the core structures.Second,recent advances of ESIPT-based organic near-infrared fluorescent probes and organic NIR lasers are reviewed.Finally,the current challenges and prospects of ESIPT-based organic NIR luminescent materials are introduced.

Organic composite materials:Understanding and manipulating excited states toward higher light-emitting performance

Organic composite materials have been attracting extensive research interest for light-emitting applications.A wide variety of luminescent organic composite materials have been synthesized,which are of great significance for both the investigation of basic photophysics and the realization of high-performance photonic devices.Function-oriented syntheses of luminescent organic composite materials rely on the understanding and manipulating of molecular excited states.In this review,we focus on the discussion about the structure design and dynamics modulation of the electronic excited states in the organic composite materials.The excited-state structures and dynamics involve singlet/triplet levels,vibronic transition,charge transfer,and energy transfer,and so on,while the light-emitting behaviors include fluorescence,phosphorescence,persistent luminescence,electroluminescence,and lasing.We aim to give insight into the relationship between light-emitting properties and excited states of organic composite materials,which is beneficial for reaching higher tiers of design and applications of luminescent organic composite materials.

Frontiers in circularly polarized luminescence:molecular design,self-assembly,nanomaterials,and applications

The research in circularly polarized luminescence has attracted wide interest in recent years.Efforts on one side are directed toward the development of chiral materials with both high luminescence efficiency and dissymmetry factors,and on the other side,are focused on the exploitations of these materials in optoelectronic applications.This review summarizes the recent frontiers(mostly within five years)in the research in circularly polarized luminescence,including the development of chiral emissive materials based on organic small molecules,compounds with aggregation-induced emissions,supramolecular assemblies,liquid crystals and liquids,polymers,metal-ligand coordination complexes and assemblies,metal clusters,inorganic nanomaterials,and photon upconversion systems.In addition,recent applications of related materials in organic light-emitting devices,circularly polarized light detectors,and organic lasers and displays are also discussed.

Frontiers of 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing: from Human Organs to Aircraft Fabrication

It has been more than three decades since stereolithography began to emerge in various forms of additive manufacturing and 3D printing. Today these technologies are proliferating worldwide in various forms of advanced manufacturing. The largest segment of the 3D printing market today involves various polymer component fabrications, particularly complex structures not attainable by other manufacturing methods.Conventional printer head systems have also been adapted to selectively print various speciated human cells and special molecules in attempts to construct human organs, beginning with skin and various tissue patches. These efforts are discussed along with metal and alloy fabrication of a variety of implant and bone replacement components by creating powder layers, which are selectively melted into complex forms（such as foams and other open-cellular structures） using laser and electron beams directed by CAD software. Efforts to create a ＂living implant＂ by bone ingrowth and eventual vascularization within these implants will be discussed briefly. Novel printer heads for direct metal droplet deposition as in other 3D printing systems are briefly described since these concepts will allow for the eventual fabrication of very large and complex products, including automotive and aerospace structures and components.