Optimization of electrospinning techniques for the realization of nanofiber plastic lasers

TL;DR

This paper discusses optimizing electrospinning techniques to produce polymer nanofibers suitable for lasing devices, emphasizing parameter control for desired optical and structural properties.

Contribution

It introduces specific optimization strategies for electrospinning to enhance nanofiber quality and lasing performance in photonic applications.

Findings

Optimized fiber surface smoothness and uniformity

Controlled fiber alignment and dimensions

Enhanced light emission and stimulated emission

Abstract

Electrospinning technologies for the realization of active polymeric nanomaterials can be easily up-scaled, opening perspectives to industrial exploitation, and due to their versatility they can be employed to finely tailor the size, morphology and macroscopic assembly of fibers as well as their functional properties. Light-emitting or other active polymer nanofibers, made of conjugated polymers or of blends embedding chromophores or other functional dopants, are suitable for various applications in advanced photonics and sensing technologies. In particular, their almost one-dimensional geometry and finely tunable composition make them interesting materials for developing novel lasing devices. However, electrospinning techniques rely on a large variety of parameters and possible experimental geometries, and they need to be carefully optimized in order to obtain suitable topographical and photonic properties in the resulting nanostructures. Targeted features include smooth and uniform fiber surface, dimensional control, as well as filament alignment, enhanced light emission, and stimulated emission. We here present various optimization strategies for electrospinning methods which have been implemented and developed by us for the realization of lasing architectures based on polymer nanofibers. The geometry of the resulting nanowires leads to peculiar light-scattering from spun filaments, and to controllable lasing characteristics.