Blue-green small-signal gain and saturation in a luminescent polymer gain medium

The authors study the optical gain and saturation behavior in a blue-green-emitting luminescent polymer gain medium. Based on the results of amplified spontaneous emission measurements, the gain coefficients, the gain-length product, and the corresponding small-signal gain are determined. By the use of the variable stripe length method, large net gain coefficients of up to 106 +/- 6 cm(-1) have been measured under nanosecond photopumping. The large gain has favorable implications for the development of short wavelength lasers and amplifiers. Their study shows that a small-signal gain of 19 dB is achievable with a very compact optical amplifier with a 400 mu m length. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.