Zeolite-Dye Microlasers

Abstract

We present a new class of micro lasers based on nanoporous molecular sieve host-guest systems. Organic dye guest molecules of 1-ethyl-4-[4-( $p$-dimethylaminophenyl)-1,3-butadienyl]-pyridinium Perchlorat were inserted into the 0.73-nm-wide channel pores of a zeolite $\mathrm{AlPO}{}_{4}\ensuremath{-}5$ host. The zeolitic microcrystal compounds were hydrothermally synthesized according to a particular host-guest chemical process. The dye molecules are found not only to be aligned along the host channel axis, but to be oriented as well. Single mode laser emission at $687\mathrm{nm}$ was obtained from a whispering gallery mode oscillating in a $8\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{diameter}$ monolithic microresonator, in which the field is confined by total internal reflection at the natural hexagonal boundaries inside the zeolitic microcrystals.