Dye film leaky waveguide laser

Based on a dye-doped polymer film with a refractive index less than that of the glass substrate, a leaky waveguide laser device has been investigated. The film is made from a polyurethane based commercial epoxy which is doped with a newly synthesized dye material: trans-4-[P-(N-ethyl-N-hydroxylethylamino) styryl]-N-methylpyridinium tetraphenylborate. The key element of the laser device is a flint-glass made equilateral prism on one surface of which the dye doped film forms a leaky waveguide structure. By combining this prism with a lateral linear pump source and two cavity mirrors, the quasiwaveguide lasing can be obtained. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the new dye doped film, and the spatial, spectral and temporal behavior of the lasing output from the device are presented. Under pump conditions of 532 nm wavelength, 10 ns pulsewidth and 5 Hz repetition rate, this device provides the peak lasing wavelength at ∼ 590nm, a lasing efficiency of ∼ 12%, and a lasing lifetime ≥ 3 X 10⁴ pulses.