LED pumped polymer laser sensor for explosives

Yue Wang, Paulina O. Morawska, Alexander L. Kanibolotsky, Peter J. Skabara, Graham A. Turnbull*, Ifor D.W. Samuel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A very compact explosive vapor sensor is demonstrated based on a distributed feedback polymer laser pumped by a commercial InGaN light-emitting diode. The laser shows a two-stage turn on of the laser emission, for pulsed drive currents above 15.7 A. The 'double-threshold' phenomenon is attributed to the slow rise of the ∼30 ns duration LED pump pulses. The laser emits a 533 nm pulsed output beam of ∼10 ns duration perpendicular to the polymer film. When exposed to nitroaromatic model explosive vapors at ∼8 ppb concentration, the laser shows a 46% change in the surface-emitted output under optimized LED excitation. A very compact explosive vapor sensor is demonstrated based on a distributed feedback polymer laser pumped by a commercial InGaN light-emitting diode. The laser shows a two-stage turn on of the laser emission, for pulsed drive currents above 15.7 A. The 'double-threshold' phenomenon is attributed to the slow rise of the ∼30 ns duration LED pump pulses. The laser emits a 533 nm pulsed output beam of ∼10 ns duration perpendicular to the polymer film. When exposed to nitroaromatic model explosive vapors at ∼8 ppb concentration, the laser shows a 46% change in the surface-emitted output under optimized LED excitation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalLaser and Photonics Reviews
Volume7
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2013

Keywords

  • Distributed feedback laser
  • Explosive sensing
  • Indirect electrically pumping
  • Organic semiconductor
  • Triplet exciton

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