Smectic A liquid crystals, based upon molecular structures that consist of combined siloxane and mesogenic moieties, exhibit strong multiple scattering of light with and without the presence of an electric field. This paper demonstrates that when one adds a laser dye to these compounds it is possible to observe random laser emission under optical excitation, and that the output can be varied depending upon the scattering state that is induced by the electric field. Results are presented to show that the excitation threshold of a dynamic scattering state, consisting of chaotic motion due to electro-hydrodynamic instabilities, exhibits lower lasing excitation thresholds than the scattering states that exist in the absence of an applied electric field. However, the lowest threshold is observed for a dynamic scattering state that does not have the largest scattering strength but which occurs when there is optimization of the combined light absorption and scattering properties.
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1 February 2012
Research Article|
February 10 2012
Lowering the excitation threshold of a random laser using the dynamic scattering states of an organosiloxane smectic A liquid crystal
Stephen M. Morris;
Stephen M. Morris
a)
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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Damian J. Gardiner;
Damian J. Gardiner
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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Malik M. Qasim;
Malik M. Qasim
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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Philip J. W. Hands;
Philip J. W. Hands
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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Timothy D. Wilkinson;
Timothy D. Wilkinson
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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Harry J. Coles
Harry J. Coles
b)
Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge
, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: hjc37@cam.ac.uk.
b)
Electronic mail: hjc37@cam.ac.uk.
J. Appl. Phys. 111, 033106 (2012)
Article history
Received:
November 08 2011
Accepted:
January 01 2012
Citation
Stephen M. Morris, Damian J. Gardiner, Malik M. Qasim, Philip J. W. Hands, Timothy D. Wilkinson, Harry J. Coles; Lowering the excitation threshold of a random laser using the dynamic scattering states of an organosiloxane smectic A liquid crystal. J. Appl. Phys. 1 February 2012; 111 (3): 033106. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3681898
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