Rapid reversible phototuning of lasing frequency in dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal

Lasing in induced cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) containing highly photosensitive azo chiral dopant (ChD) and pyrromethene laser dye was investigated. Due to the absence of excitation energy transfer from the dye molecules to the molecules of ChD in such a system, a low lasing threshold was achieved. When using violet and green light-emitting diodes, reversible frequency tuning was obtained in the range of about 30 nm with a tuning time 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller than in conventional CLC laser systems based on azo and azoxy photosensitive compounds. Further increase of the intensity of the excitation light by using a green laser pointer allowed us to achieve a record phototuning speed (similar to 21 nm in 148 ms). (C) 2014 Optical Society of America