Active waveguide Bragg lasers via conformal contact PDMS stamps

AbstractLasing is observed in Bragg lasers formed through conformal contact of a patterned PDMS stamp with a plain active film, spincoated on glass. The thresholds, output efficiencies and spectral characteristics are compared to standard substrate patterned gratings and is discussed in relation to the coupling coefficient $$\upkappa $$ κ . The reported thresholds are highly sensitive in distributed feedback (DFB) lasers to grating duty cycles, for both PDMS-air and substrate–film lasers. Overall, laser thresholds of PDMS-air (PA) DFB lasers are found to be significantly higher than substrate–film (SF) lasers, which is attributed to an approximate three-fold reduction of optical-confinement in the grating region. Slope output efficiencies are found to be comparatively higher in PA lasers relative to SF lasers for both DFB and DBR configurations and is attributed to several competing factors. The PDMS can be removed from the surface of the active film repeatedly and conformal contact is limited mainly by the particle build up on the PDMS surface. The proposed PA system is expected to be useful in rapid laser metrology of new gain materials and in practical applications of optically pumped lasers.