Abstract:
A laser whose emission is modulated by ultrasound is presented. The laser is usually micron-sized. In response to ultrasound modulation, the laser emission increases and decreases. Such a change in emission can be detected by external optical detectors. This type of laser can be used as a new type of imaging modality, in which laser emission in combination with sound waves or ultrasound waves, is used for imaging. Laser emission has a much narrower spectral linewidth and stronger intensity than fluorescence and therefore is able to achieve higher sensitivity, whereas sound waves are used to provide a better spatial resolution of the laser emission from the laser. In ultrasound modulated laser based imaging, multiple lasers can be placed inside cells or tissues.
Abstract:
A miniature tunable dye laser comprises a pair of mirrors opposed along an optical axis and shaped to provide an optical cavity with stable resonance in at least one mode and having a cavity length of at most 50µm. A laser dye is inside the optical cavity. A laser pump illuminates the dye with pump EM radiation having a band of wavelengths that is wider than the mode of said cavity An actuator system moves move the mirrors relative to each other along the length of the optical cavity for tuning the wavelength of the mode of said cavity.
Abstract:
The present invention generally relates to lasers comprising fluidic channels, such as microfluidic channels. In some instances, the channel contains two or more fluids. The fluids may remain non-mixed within the channel, for example, due to immiscibility and/or laminar flow within the channel. The fluids may be arranged in the channel such that light propagating in a first fluid is prevented by the second fluid from exiting the first fluid, for example, due to differences in the indexes of refraction (e.g., causing internal reflection of the fluid to occur). Thus, in one embodiment, a first fluid may be at least partially surrounded by a second fluid having a second index of refraction lower than the index of refraction of the first fluid. In some embodiments, the fluidic channel is used as a laser, for instance, a dye laser, i.e., a laser created by directing light at a dye to produce coherent light. The dye may be present in one or more fluids within the fluidic channel. The incident light (for example, created by another laser) may be directed at the channel from any angle. In some cases, laser light may be produced in a direction substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the channel. In some embodiments, the laser is free of mirrors, prisms, or gratings, or the laser may produce coherent light using a non-resonant photonic pathway. However, in other cases, mirrors, prisms, or gratings may be used to reflect light along the channel to enhance stimulated emission of coherent light. Another aspect of the invention includes optical diffractors, such as prisms or gratings, which can contain a fluid. The optical diffractors, in certain embodiments, are positioned to diffract light, such as coherent light, emanating from the fluidic channel. Still other aspects of the invention provide devices, kits, and methods of making and using such lasers.
Abstract:
This invention relates to the field of lasers and in particular to the pump sources used in lasers. Many existing lasers use linear flashlamps in order to create population inversion in the gain medium of the laser. Such pump sources suffer from a number of drawbacks particularly when pumping dye lasers including explosive damage, long optical pulse length and inappropriate spectral emission. This invention provides a pump source for a laser which exploits the surface discharge phenomenon. A dielectric material (1) which is in contract with a gas (9) has electrical energy discharged across its surface in order to provide an electromagnetic emission which is then used to pump the gain medium. By varying the dielectric material or the cover gas used (amongst other variables) the surface emission can be used to pump the laser gain medium.
Abstract:
Radial fiber laser. The laser includes an optical fiber including a cavity containing a microfluidic gain medium bounded by a composite structure of alternating layers of high and low index materials forming an axially invariant, rotationally symmetric photonic bandgap cavity. The optical fiber also includes at least one microfluidic channel containing liquid crystal modulators in the fiber cladding extending in an axial direction and further includes a pair of electrodes flanking the microfluidic channel. An electrical potential across the pair of electrodes will rotate the liquid crystal molecules to rotate the linearly polarized state of light emitted from the cavity. An external linear polarizer is disposed around the fiber to modulate azimuthal laser intensity distribution.
Abstract:
A family of 3 members of 8-alkyl boron dipyrromethenes (I, II and III) has been developed, obtained by means of Liebeskind-Srogl coupling with alkenyl boronic acids, followed by catalytic hydrogenation of the alkenyl using hydrogen on palladium, and characterised by high laser efficiency with emission in the green region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. These novel derivatives are characterised by a laser efficiency almost double that of other commercial dyes and a much greater photostability.
Abstract:
There are disclosed compounds for assisting triplet absorption in a laser, such as a pulsed-dye laser, the compounds comprising at least one molecule chosen from nitroxides and nitrones. In one embodiment, the disclosed compounds may be mixed with the dye of a dye laser in an amount sufficient to assist in triplet absorption. In one embodiment, the nitroxide compound comprises tempol [4- hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinyloxy, free radical]. Also disclosed are methods of using the disclosed compounds to control the triplet absorption of a dye laser or improve the performance or life span of a gaseous or solid laser.
Abstract:
The photostability of organic material is enhanced by the incorporation of a plurality of particles which may for example have a diameter of 0.03 microns to 2.5 microns. The organic material may be a light absorbing material and may be photoluminescent or electroluminescent. Compositions in accordance with the invention incorporating an electroluminescent material of enhanced photostability may be used in an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED).
Abstract:
A defect causing a localized state is induced in a chiral structure (12) composed of multiple chiral elements (20, 22) by twisting one element of the chiral structure with respect to the other elements along a common longitudinal axis such that directors of the element molecular layers that are in contact with one another at contact area (26) are disposed at a particular "twist" angle therebetween, the twist angle being greater than a shift angle between directors of consecutive layers. The chiral twist structure may be utilized in a variety of applications such as filters, lasers and detectors. The defect caused by the twist may be made tunable by providing a tuning device for rotating one or more of the chiral elements with respect to one another to vary the twist angle and thus vary the position of the induced defect within a photonic stop band. Tunable defects may be advantageously utilized to construct tunable wavelength chiral filters, detectors and lasers.