Organic solid-state ultraviolet-laser based on spiro-terphenyl

We report on organic semiconductor lasers based on spiro-terphenyl as active gain medium in a second-order distributed feedback (DFB) structure. In contrast to neat p-terphenyl, the spiro-linked compound forms vitreous amorphous films-an essential prerequisite for low loss laser structures. Spiro-terphenyl shows amplified spontaneous emission in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum at 381 nm. Thin-film lasers with DFB grating periods between 200 and 230 nm exhibit emission wavelengths between 361.9 and 393.8 nm. The minimum threshold energy density under optical pumping is as low as 8.9 mu J/cm(2) (383 nm). Therefore, the novel spiro-linked compound paves the way for low-threshold, widely tunable organic semiconductor lasers advancing into the ultraviolet spectral region. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.