Amplified emission and lasing in a plasmonic nano-laser with many three-level molecules

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates plasmonic lasing in a system of many dye molecules around a gold nano-sphere, revealing how pump strength and molecule number influence emission characteristics and lasing behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a realistic three-level molecular model to analyze plasmonic lasing, highlighting the effects of molecular interference and pump strength on emission properties.

Findings

Single narrow emission peak at moderate pump with few molecules

Peak splitting and broadening under strong pump due to molecular interference

Poisson-like plasmon number distribution indicating lasing with many molecules

Abstract

Steady-state plasmonic lasing is studied theoretically for a system consisting of many dye molecules arranged regularly around a gold nano-sphere. A three-level model with realistic molecular dissipation is employed to analyze the performance as function of the pump field amplitude and number of molecules. Few molecules and moderate pumping produce a single narrow emission peak because the excited molecules transfer energy to a single dipole plasmon mode by amplified spontaneous emission. Under strong pumping, the single peak splits into broader and weaker emission peaks because two molecular excited levels interfere with each other through coherent coupling with the pump field and with the dipole plasmon field. A large number of molecules gives rise to a Poisson-like distribution of plasmon number states with a large mean number characteristic of lasing action. These characteristics of lasing, however, deteriorate under strong pumping because of the molecular interference effect.