Molecular encapsulation of fluorescent dyes affords efficient narrow-band dye laser operation in water.
A water-based narrow-band high-efficiency dye laser was designed by means of a supramolecular host-guest chemical approach. The lasing characteristics of rhodamine B and sulforhodamine B (Kiton Red S) dyes in aqueous solution with the macrocyclic host cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) as additive were investigated in a narrow-band dye laser setup. Significant improvements in both photostability and thermo-optical properties of the aqueous CB7-complexed dye systems were observed as compared to the uncomplexed dyes in ethanol solution. The tuning curves for the new dye-CB7-water systems were constructed by measuring the laser output at different wavelengths, which showed similar peak efficiencies and red-shifted gains compared to the ethanolic solutions of the dyes, while dye laser operation revealed comparable pump threshold energies and slope efficiencies. The combined results render the dye-CB7-water system an attractive active medium for high-repetition rate dye laser operation.
Mohanty
Jyotirmayee
J
Radiation & Photochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai-400 085, India. jyotim@barc.gov.in
Jagtap
Krishna
K
Ray
Alok K
AK
Nau
Werner M
WM
Pal
Haridas
H
D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D047028:Macrocyclic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D000099246:Cucurbit(n)urils
D000431:Ethanol; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D047028:Macrocyclic Compounds; D012235:Rhodamines; D014867:Water; D000099246:Cucurbit(n)urils; C029773:rhodamine B