Enhancement of laser action in ZnO nanorods assisted by surface plasmon resonance of reduced graphene oxide nanoflakes

We report the discovery of an enhancement of the random laser action in a nanocomposite comprising reduced graphene oxide nanoflakes and ZnO nanorods. We show that both emission intensity and lasing threshold exhibit an obvious improvement. Based on our theoretical calculations, the mechanism underlying the enhanced stimulated emission can be attributed to coupling between the optical transition and the surface plasmon resonance of the reduced graphene oxide nanoflakes, induced by the ZnO nanorod surface roughness. The approach we describe here will be very useful for the future development of high-efficiency optoelectronic devices and offers an alternative route for application of reduced graphene oxide. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America