Looking to overcome this problem, the team has developed a new class of lasers which operate in the infrared range. The team has combined silicon nano waveguides with a polymer doped with an organic dye. The energy to operate this ‘organic’ laser is supplied vertically to the chip surface by a pulsed light source. The laser light produced is then coupled directly into a silicon nano waveguide.
According to the team, its work has succeeded in generating pulsed laser radiation with a wavelength of 1310 nm and a peak power of more than 1W.
Potential applications for the development include biosensors, with laser wavelengths adapted to detect medically relevant substances. Because the chips can be produced at low cost, they can be used once only.
