Perovskite random lasers: a tunable coherent light source for emerging applications

Lasing from Micro- and Nano-Scale Photonic Disordered Structures for Biomedical Applications

A disordered photonic medium is one in which scatterers are distributed randomly. Light entering such media experiences multiple scattering events, resulting in a "random walk"-like propagation. Micro- and nano-scale structured disordered photonic media offer platforms for enhanced light-matter interaction, and in the presence of an appropriate gain medium, coherence-tunable, quasi-monochromatic lasing emission known as random lasing can be obtained. This paper discusses the fundamental physics of light propagation in micro- and nano-scale disordered structures leading to the random lasing phenomenon and related aspects. It then provides a state-of-the-art review of this topic, with special attention to recent advancements of such random lasers and their potential biomedical imaging and biosensing applications.

Enhanced Photoluminescence and Random Lasing Emission in TiO2-Decorated FAPbBr3 Thin Films

Herein, titanium-dioxide-decorated organic formamidinium lead bromide perovskite thin films grown by the one-step spin-coating method are studied. TiO₂ nanoparticles are widespread in FAPbBr₃ thin films, which changes the optical properties of the perovskite thin films effectively. Obvious reductions in the absorption and enhancements in the intensity of the photoluminescence spectra are observed. Over 6 nm, a blueshift of the photoluminescence emission peaks is observed due to 5.0 mg/mL TiO₂ nanoparticle decoration in the thin films, which originates from the variation in the grain sizes of the perovskite thin films. Light intensity redistributions in perovskite thin films are measured by using a home-built confocal microscope, and the multiple scattering and weak localization of light are analyzed based on the scattering center of TiO₂ nanoparticle clusters. Furthermore, random lasing emission with sharp emission peaks is achieved in the scattering perovskite thin films with a full width at the half maximum of 2.1 nm. The multiple scattering of light, the random reflection and reabsorption of light, and the coherent interaction of light within the TiO₂ nanoparticle clusters play important roles in random lasing. This work could be used to improve the efficiency of photoluminescence and random lasing emissions, and it is promising in high-performance optoelectrical devices.

3D printed optical sensor for highly sensitive detection of picric acid using perovskite nanocrystals and mechanism of photo-electron transfer

Hand-held, compact and portable sensors for on-site detection of environmental contaminants are in high demand for industry 4.0. Here, we have developed a sensor based on luminescent organic-inorganic metal halide hybrid perovskites nanocrystals (CH₃NH₃PbBr₃) with p-xylylenediamine as an additional capping agent for highly sensitive and selective detection of picric acid (PA), with a good linear range of 1.8 μM-14.3 μM achieving detection of limit (LOD) of 0.3 μM. The electrostatic interaction between PA and the capping ligand of perovskite nanocrystals resulted in significant fluorescence quenching, as revealed by the steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy. The applicability of the developed sensor for PA detection was validated with a 3D printed device integrating surface mounting device (SMD) and paper microfluidics. This prototype device was successfully applied as a fluorescence turn-off sensor to detect PA, showing great potential for on-site detection. This 3D-printed paper-based microfluidic optical sensor proved very efficient for naked-eye detection of PA with an inbuilt excitation source, avoiding the requirement of expensive and complex instrumentation.

Ligand Engineering and Recrystallization of Perovskite Quantum-Dot Thin Film for Low-Threshold Plasmonic Lattice Laser

Solution-process perovskite quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials to be utilized in photovoltaics and photonics with their superior optical properties. Advancements in top-down nanofabrication for perovskite are thus important for practical photonic and plasmonic devices. However, different from the chemically synthesized nano/micro-structures that show high quality and low surface roughness, the perovskite QD thin film prepared by spin-coating or the drop-casting process shows a large roughness and inhomogeneity. Low-roughness and low-optical loss perovskite QD thin film is highly desired for photonic and optoelectronic devices. Here, this work presents a pressure-assisted ligand engineering/recrystallization process for high-quality and well-thickness controlled CsPbBr₃ QD film and demonstrates a low-threshold and single-mode plasmonic lattice laser. A recrystallization process is proposed to prepare the QD film with a low roughness (RMS = 1.3 nm) and small thickness (100 nm). Due to the low scattering loss and strong interaction between gain media and plasmonic nanoparticles, a low lasing threshold of 16.9 µJ cm^-2 is achieved. It is believed that this work is not only important to the plasmonic laser field but also provides a promising and general nanofabrication method of solution-processed QDs for various photonic and plasmonic devices.

Polarization improvement of perovskite nanowire composite films by mechanical stretching method

Perovskite nanowires (NWs) have attracted considerable interest because of their excellent polarization properties. In this work, we first synthesized colloidal lead halide CsPbBr₃NWs with suitable lengths and excellent polarization performance by the method of the thermal injection. By embedding the NWs in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to prepare practical a polymer composite and combining it with the mechanical stretching method, we achieved films with higher polarizing properties. The optimized stretched composite film achieved a polarization degree of 0.4992, which is superior to that of the unstretched one. The stretched PVA molecules are arranged in a straight line, which absorbs the polarized light parallel to the alignment direction, and only allows the polarized light in the vertical direction to pass through. Therefore, the arrangement of the spin-coated NWs combined with the arrangement direction of the PVA molecules led to an improvement in the polarization performance of the composite film. The NWs-PVA-stretched composite films will show important application value in the manufacture of next-generation polarization-sensitive optoelectronic devices and other fields.

Constraint Mechanism of Power Device Design Based on Perovskite Quantum Dots Pumped by an Electron Beam

This paper studied the constraint mechanism for power device design based on perovskite quantum dots pumped by an electron beam. Combined with device designing, an experimental system of self-saturation luminescence and aging failure was designed for CsPbBr3 films. On this basis, we further completed the self-saturation luminescence and aging failure experiment and constructed a model of self-saturation luminescence and aging failure for CsPbBr3 device designing. Three constraints were proposed after analyzing and discussing the experimental data. Firstly, too high of a pumping current density makes it difficult to effectively promote the enhancement of luminescence efficiency. Secondly, radiation decomposition and aging failure of CsPbBr3 films are mainly related to the polarized degree of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. Thirdly, by increasing the pumping electric field, the pumping energy can be effectively and widely delivered to the three-dimensional quantum dots film layer space, and there is a nonlinear relationship between the attenuation of the pumping energy density and the increment of the pumping electric field, which will effectively avoid the local high-energy density of instantaneous optical pumping.

Ultracompact Nanophotonics: Light Emission and Manipulation with Metasurfaces

Internet of Things (IoT) technology is prosperous for the betterment of human well-being. With the expeditious needs of miniature functional devices and systems for adaptive optics and light manipulation at will, relevant sensing techniques are thus in the urgent stage of development. Extensive developments in ultrathin artificial structures, namely metasurfaces, are paving the way for the next-generation devices. A bunch of tunable and reconfigurable metasurfaces with diversified catalogs of mechanisms have been developed recently, enabling dynamic light modulation on demand. On the other hand, monolithic integration of metasurfaces and light-emitting sources form ultracompact meta-devices as well as exhibiting desired functionalities. Photon-matter interaction provides revolution in more compact meta-devices, manipulating light directly at the source. This study presents an outlook on this merging paradigm for ultracompact nanophotonics with metasurfaces, also known as metaphotonics. Recent advances in the field hold great promise for the novel photonic devices with light emission and manipulation in simplicity.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silver-Gold Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Random Lasing

We developed rough silver-gold bimetallic nanoparticles for random lasing. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized based on a citrate-reduction method and the gold (III) chloride trihydrate was added to produce bimetallic nanoparticles. Gold atoms were deposited on the surface of the silver (Ag) through galvanic replacement reactions after the solution was stored at room temperature. Sample characterization and a spectrometry experiment were performed where bimetallic nanoparticles with nanogaps and the extinction of the nanoparticles were observed. The aim of this research is to synthesize nanoparticles for random dye laser in a weakly scattering regime. The novel bimetallic nanoparticles were added to Rhodamine 640 solution to produce random lasing. We found that random dye laser with bimetallic nanoparticles produced spectral narrowing and lasing threshold compared to random dye laser with silver nanoparticles. We attribute that to the localized surface plasmon effects which increase local electromagnetic field to provide sufficient optical gain for random lasing. The rough surface of bimetallic nanoparticles also contributes to the properties of random lasing. Thus, we suggest that the rough bimetallic nanoparticles can be used to develop random lasers.