Tunable optofluidic microlasers based on optically stretched emulsion droplets

Mehdi Aas; Alexandr Jonáš; Alper Kiraz; Oto Brzobohatvý; Jan Ježek; Zdeněk Pilát; Pavel Zemánek

doi:10.1117/12.2024252

12 September 2013 Tunable optofluidic microlasers based on optically stretched emulsion droplets

Mehdi Aas, Alexandr Jonáš, Alper Kiraz, Oto Brzobohatvý, Jan Ježek, Zdeněk Pilát, Pavel Zemánek

Proceedings Volume 8810, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation X; 88101Y (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2024252
Event: SPIE NanoScience + Engineering, 2013, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We introduce tunable optofluidic microlasers based on optically stretched, dye-doped emulsion droplets confined in a dual-beam optical trap. Optically trapped microdroplets of oil emulsified in water and stained with fluorescent dye act as active ultrahigh-Q optical resonant cavities hosting whispering gallery modes (WGMs) which enable dye lasing with low threshold pump powers. In order to achieve tunable dye lasing, the droplets are pumped with a pulsed green laser beam and simultaneously stretched by light in the dual-beam trap. For a given stretching power, the magnitude of the droplet deformation is dictated by the interfacial tension between the droplet and the host liquid which is adjustable by adding surfactants. Increase of power of the dual-beam trap causes a directly proportional change of the droplet stretching deformation. Subsequently, resonant path lengths of different WGMs propagating in the droplet are modified, leading to shifts in the corresponding microlaser emission wavelenghts. Using this technique, we present all-optical, almost reversible spectral tuning of the lasing WGMs and show that the direction of wavelength tuning depends on the position of the pump beam focus on the droplet, consistent with the deformation of originally spherical droplet towards a prolate spheroid. In addition, we study the effects of changes of the droplet and immersion medium temperature on the spectral position of lasing WGMs and demonstrate that droplet heating leads to red-tuning of the droplet lasing wavelength.

Citation Download Citation

Mehdi Aas, Alexandr Jonáš, Alper Kiraz, Oto Brzobohatvý, Jan Ježek, Zdeněk Pilát, and Pavel Zemánek "Tunable optofluidic microlasers based on optically stretched emulsion droplets", Proc. SPIE 8810, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation X, 88101Y (12 September 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2024252

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
12 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Optical fibers

Liquids

Optical tweezers

Water

Refractive index

Microfluidics

Active optics

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years