Spectral narrowing and lasing of conducting polymers and fluorescent dyes in micro-cavity and synthetic opal as photonic crystal

Micro-ring structures of various conducting polymers such as poly(2,5-dialkoxyphenylene vinylene), poly(9,9-dialkylfluorene) and di-substituted polyacetylene derivatives were prepared by dipping various diameter of fibers in the solution of these conducting polymers. Upon excitation of these micro-ring structures of conducting polymers with second harmonics (SHG) and third harmonics (THG) of Nd:YAG laser light, laser emissions whose characteristics such as wavelength and modes were dependent on conducting polymer and diameter of the fiber were observed. Their characteristics were also discussed in terms of the optical property of these conducting polymers studied by time-resolved photoluminescence measurement and modulation spectroscopy. Optical properties of conducting polymers and various organic fluorescent dyes infiltrated in nano-scale inter-connected voids in various synthetic opals as photonic crystals were studied. We have used several types of synthetic opals such as red opal, green opal and purple opal which were prepared by the sedimentation of SiO/sub 2/ spheres of 250 nm, 210 nm and 180 nm in diameter, respectively. Remarkable spectral narrowing of PL and evolution of new sharp emission lines were also observed in the red opal and purple opal which were infiltrated with dyes which emit red and purple PL, respectively. On the other hand, lasing was not observed when dyes emitting red PL were infiltrated in the green and purple opals and also when dyes emitting purple PL were infiltrated in the red and green opals.