Optofluidic Microring Resonator Laser Based on Cavity-Assisted Energy Transfer in Dye-Infiltrated Side-Hole Microstructured Optical Fibers

We demonstrate an optofluidic microring resonator laser based on cavity-assisted energy transfer (CAET) in dye materials. The side-hole microstructured optical fiber is employed to provide two channels for independent loading of donor and acceptor materials. The CAET-based microring resonator shows a considerable reduction in lasing threshold from 24.94 to 1.43 μJ when the concentrations of acceptor and donor dyes are both 0.3 mM. The CAET effect on lasing threshold has been experimentally investigated for different concentration proportions of acceptor to donor dyes. The proposed separate donor/acceptor loading technique avoids the interactions between different active media that may impact the lasing performances, and moreover it is possible to change acceptor materials through independent procedures, making it a promising candidate to serve as a miniaturized laser for biochemical and in situ diagnostic applications.