Optical cavity with a double-layered cholesteric liquid crystal mirror and its prospective application to solid state laser

Abstract

The authors have fabricated an optical cavity with silver (Ag) and double-layered cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) mirrors facing each other. This CLC mirror consists of left-handed CLC and right-handed CLC films for high light reflection irrespective of polarization states. A single-mode lasing was observed in dye-doped CLC sandwiched between Ag and double-layered CLC mirrors. The authors also fabricated a flexible solid state device with a spin-coated dye molecular film sandwiched between Ag and double-layered CLC mirrors. Amplified spontaneous emission was observed from the solid state device, suggesting a possible structure for a flexible and tunable solid state laser.