Glass-embedded optofluidic lasers

We report the realization and characterization of optofluidic lasers fully embedded in glass chips. By coupling femtosecond micromachining technology for writing the microfluidic circuit with high resolution inkjet technology to fabricate the cavity mirrors, it was possible to get robust Fabry-Perot resonators suitable for low threshold optofluidic lasers. Using as active medium a solution of Rh-6G in ethanol, linewidth as low as 0.5 nm has been obtained with a threshold for oscillation at a pump fluence of 2 μJ/mm
²
. Different resonant cavities have been tested obtaining record performances for what concern pumping threshold and emission linewidth for Fabry-Perot based optofluidic lasers, achieving a quality factor Q ∼ 10
³
.