Organic semiconductor lasers as integrated light sources for optical sensor systems

We demonstrate the feasibility of organic semiconductor lasers as light sources for lab-on-a-chip systems. These lasers are based on a 1D- or 2D-photonic crystal resonator structure providing optical feedback in the active laser material that is deposited on top, e.g. aluminum tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) (Alq3) doped with the laser dye 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM). We investigated different fabrication methods for the resonator structures, like thermal nanoimprint, UV nanoimprint, and laser interference lithography. Different substrate materials commonly used in lab-on-a-chip systems, e.g. PMMA, Topas, and Ormocer were deployed. By changing the distributed feedback grating periodicity, we demonstrate a tuning range for a single material system of more than 120 nm. The investigated organic semiconductor lasers are optically pumped. External optical pumping provides a feasible way for one-time-use chips. Our recent success of pumping organic lasers with a low-cost laser diode also renders hand-held systems possible. As a further step towards the integration of organic lasers in sensor systems, we demonstrate the coupling of an organic laser into polymeric waveguides which can be combined with microfluidic channels. The integrated organic lasers and the waveguides are both fabricated on the same polished PMMA substrate using thermal nanoimprint lithography and deep-UV modification, respectively. We could demonstrate the guiding of the laser light in single-mode waveguides.