Diverse regimes of mode intensity correlation in nanofiber random lasers through nanoparticle doping

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nanoparticle doping in electrospun polymer nanofibers influences the mode intensity correlation regimes in nanofiber random lasers, revealing tunable feedback mechanisms and guiding principles for nano-laser design.

Contribution

It introduces the first detailed study of mode correlation regimes in complex nanostructured solid-state random lasers with nanoparticle doping.

Findings

Nanoparticle doping tailors the number of lasing modes and their intensity correlations.

Directional waveguiding enhances mode correlation in both feedback regimes.

Material engineering enables control over emission properties of nano-lasers.

Abstract

Random lasers are based on disordered materials with optical gain. These devices can exhibit either intensity or resonant feedback, relying on diffusive or interference behaviour of light, respectively, which leads to either coupling or independent operation of lasing modes. We study for the first time these regimes in complex, solid-state nanostructured materials. The number of lasing modes and their intensity correlation features are found to be tailorable in random lasers made of light-emitting, electrospun polymer fibers upon nanoparticle doping. By material engineering, directional waveguiding along the length of fibers is found to be relevant to enhance mode correlation in both intensity feedback and resonant feedback random lasing. The here reported findings can be used to establish new design rules for tuning the emission of nano-lasers and correlation properties by means of the compositional and morphological properties of complex nanostructured materials.