Physicists at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have developed a tunable droplet-based laser
For their development, the researchers usedlotus effect. These plants are known for their ability to clear dust. Due to microscopic bumps on the surface of the leaf, water droplets do not evaporate, but form almost perfect spheres that roll down, dragging dust particles with them.
Physicists have used a similar approach tocreating liquid droplets that can act like lasers, remaining stable for up to a month. They used the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and mixed it with a dye. The researchers coated the quartz substrate for the “liquid laser” with fluorinated silica nanoparticles so that the surface repelled liquids, like a lotus leaf.
In a series of experiments, scientists have shown that ifapply the prepared liquid using a conventional commercial inkjet printer onto such a treated silicon substrate, tiny droplets form almost perfect spheres.
Such drops can remain stable forat least 30 days. The shape and resistance to evaporation allow the droplet to maintain optical resonance when excited by a laser pump source. And you can control the laser by blowing the surface with nitrogen gas: this shifts the laser peaks in the range from 645 to 662 nm, slightly deforming the shape of the droplets.
Researchers note that all moderndrop lasers require special conditions and cannot operate in air because the droplets evaporate quickly. The presented development is the first cheap and affordable liquid laser.
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