An mCherry biolaser based on microbubble cavity with ultra-low threshold

TL;DR

This paper reports a highly stable mCherry fluorescent protein laser using a microbubble cavity, achieving the highest quality factor among FP lasers and an ultra-low threshold, with potential biomedical sensing applications.

Contribution

Introduces a novel mCherry biolaser with a microbubble cavity achieving record-high Q factor and lowest threshold, enhancing stability and sensing capabilities in biomedical fields.

Findings

Achieved a Q factor of 10^8 in the mCherry biolaser.

Established an ultra-low lasing threshold of 286 fJ.

Demonstrated stability across wide pH range and resistance to photobleaching.

Abstract

Biolasers show considerable potential in the biomedical field. Fluorescent protein (FP) is a type of biomaterial with good luminescence efficiency that can be used as the luminescent gain medium in biolasers. Due to the higher cell/tissue permeability, lower cell phototoxicity, and relatively less background fluorescence than other fluorescent proteins, the red fluorescent protein is more suitable in biological applications. MCherry is the most extensively used high-quality red fluorescent protein because of its short maturation time and stable luminescence properties. In this study, using mCherry and microbubble cavity, we realize a highly stable mCherry fluorescent protein laser. The laser resonator achieves a quality factor of 10^8, which is the highest Q factor among the currently available FP lasers. Moreover, this laser exhibits low threshold of 286 fJ, which can effectively protect the luminescent material from being damaged by pump light. Such a threshold is the lowest in the FP lasers as per our knowledge. The prepared laser shows excellent stability in a wide pH range with good photobleaching resistance and can be stored at 4 degree for nearly a month. Also, the laser can serve as a high-sensitivity molecular concentration detector with mCherry as biomarker, owing to its lasing threshold behavior.