title: Physically transient photonics: random versus distributed feedback lasing based on nanoimprinted DNA.
abstract: Room-temperature nanoimprinted, DNA-based distributed feedback (DFB) laser operation at 605 nm is reported. The laser is made of a pure DNA host matrix doped with gain dyes. At high excitation densities, the emission of the untextured dye-doped DNA films is characterized by a broad emission peak with an overall line width of 12 nm and superimposed narrow peaks, characteristic of random lasing. Moreover, direct patterning of the DNA films is demonstrated with a resolution down to 100 nm, enabling the realization of both surface-emitting and edge-emitting DFB lasers with a typical line width of <0.3 nm. The resulting emission is polarized, with a ratio between the TE- and TM-polarized intensities exceeding 30. In addition, the nanopatterned devices dissolve in water within less than 2 min. These results demonstrate the possibility of realizing various physically transient nanophotonics and laser architectures, including random lasing and nanoimprinted devices, based on natural biopolymers.
authors.affiliation: National Nanotechnology Laboratory, CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze , via Arnesano, I-73100 Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camposeo
authors.forename: Pompilio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Carro
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Persano
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cyprych
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szukalski
authors.forename: Lech
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sznitko
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mysliwiec
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pisignano
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D055095:Optics and Photonics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA; nanoimprint lithography; patterning; transient nanophotonics