This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to develop low-cost, high-performance, tunable solid-state dye lasers using liquid crystalline polymer as a distributed-feedback host. The proposed lasers are surface-emitting with a polarized narrowband emission from UV to infrared. These lasers are of simple construction, extremely compact and opto-mechanically robust. Being solid-state, these lasers are environmentally safe and user-friendly. Preliminary results have demonstrated that these solid-state dye lasers are feasible. Low-threshold, circularly polarized laser emission with narrow spectral bandwidth has been observed. In Phase I, these novel lasers will be systematically studied with the goal of defining optimal designs. Viable fabrication processes for these thin-film dye lasers will also be developed. In Phase II, optimized prototype laser systems will be designed, constructed and field-tested. These prototypes will lead to commercial products for portable applications beyond the laboratory environment. Envisioned system sizes are about 5 cm x 5 cm x 15 cm, 99% of which is occupied by the pump laser. If a semiconductor diode laser as a pump source is used, system with IR output would be dramatically reduced in size. Compact solid-state tunable dye lasers have diverse applications. For example, they can be used in field to monitor chemical and biological hazards and monitor air pollution. Other applications include secured optical communications, target designation, biomedical diagnostics, optical mass data storage and high-brightness information displays.
