Abstract
In this work, by utilizing ionic liquid as the gain medium solvent, which is a new category of materials, we demonstrated a droplet-based dye laser system in a co-flowing microfluidic device. We characterized the droplet laser system and achieved a lasing threshold of 40.1 μJ/mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . Owning to the unique properties of ionic liquids, such as negligible vapor pressure and good thermal and chemical stability, they offer great potentials for the development of on-chip light sources, tunable optofluidic devices, and sensitive biochemical analysis.
Highlights
Microfluidic dye lasers [1]–[13] have been explored as a promising technology for the development of full function lab-on-chip bioanalytical systems, in which sample manipulation and optical detection system are integrated on the same device
Organic dyes are commonly used as the gain media, which are normally dissolved in a solvent, such as methanol, water or immersion oil
To confine the light within an ionic liquids (ILs) droplet, the refractive index of the droplet should be higher than that of the surrounding environment to meet the condition of total internal reflection (TIR), so that the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) can be supported
Summary
Microfluidic dye lasers [1]–[13] have been explored as a promising technology for the development of full function lab-on-chip bioanalytical systems, in which sample manipulation and optical detection system are integrated on the same device. The efforts to find certain universal solvents, which can dissolve both polar and non-polar organic dyes, is still ongoing Such a solvent can further expand the compatibility, flexibility, and functionality of microfluidic dye lasers in advancing the integration of on-chip light source for biosensing and chemical sensing. The good thermal stability and almost-zero volatility of ILs allow laser systems to operate in a more temperature-tolerable environment Their high solubility for both polar and non-polar dye molecules is essential to maintain high quantum yields and provides flexibility in the selection of various dyes to achieve a broadband lasing spectral coverage.
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