Light-induced multi-wavelength lasing in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals due to strong pumping illumination

ABSTRACT

The influence of the pump laser beam on the lasing spectral characteristics in dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal is investigated. Under the influence of the pump laser pulses with different repetition rates and energies, non-linear reorientation and light-induced flow reorientation of chiral nematic liquid crystals (CLC) molecules was observed. Independent of the reorientation mechanism, multi-wavelength lasing was achieved due to stepwise uncoiling of the CLC structure. Under the influence of a pump laser beam with low repetition rate, Cano–Grandjean disclination defect lines were induced which remain even after removal of the laser beam.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Lasing
• chirality
• tuning
• non-linear reorientation
• Cano–Grandjean defect lines
• domain
• light-induced reorientation

Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the RA MES State Committee of Science in the frames of the research project no. 15T-1C099. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) in the form of a PhD Fellowship grant for I. Nys and the Centre of Nano and Bio Photonics at UGent.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by the RA MES State Committee of Science in the frames of the research project no. 15T-1C099. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) in the form of a PhD Fellowship grant for I. Nys and the Centre of Nano and Bio Photonics at UGent.