Abstract
We report on all-optical modulation and switching of light-guided random laser emission in optically pumped dye-doped nematic liquid crystals, whereby a continuous-wave near-infrared beam at 1.064 μm, nonresonant with the medium and collinear with the pump source, forms a reorientational spatial soliton. Such soliton-assisted cavity-less laser exhibits a beam character with directional emission and smooth transverse profile and can be either switched-on or made more efficient by injecting a weak input. We achieve energy amplifications of laser emission in excess of 18 dB by injecting a 6 mW near-infrared beam.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | IEEE Photonics Journal |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Sept 2018 |
| Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- dye lasers
- dyes
- laser beams
- liquid lasers
- nematic liquid crystals
- optical modulation
- optical pumping
- optical solitons
- optical switches
- all-optical modulation
- light-guided random laser emission
- pump source
- reorientational spatial soliton
- beam character
- directional emission
- smooth transverse profile
- near-infrared switching
- optically pumped dye-doped nematic liquid crystals
- continuous-wave near-infrared beam
- soliton-assisted cavity-less laser
- energy amplifications
- power 6.0 mW
- wavelength 1.064 mum
- Laser beams
- Pump lasers
- Optical pumping
- Optical solitons
- Optical switches
- Spatial solitons
- random lasing
- nematicons
- nonlinear optics
- liquid crystals
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1