A micro-cavity fluidic dye laser

We have successfully fabricated and characterized a micro-cavity fluidic dye laser with metallic mirrors, which can be integrated with other microfluidic systems without adding further process steps. A laser dye solution is pumped through a microfluidic channel containing the laser cavity. The microfluidic channel structure, which is formed in SU-8 photoresist, is sandwiched between Pyrex glass wafers, bonded together at low temperature by means of SU-8. The laser was characterized using Rhodamine 6G laser dye dissolved in ethanol as the active medium, and optically pumped by a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser. The dye solution was optimized, and lasing was observed at a wavelength of 570 nm with a full width half maximum linewidth of 5.7 nm and the optical pumping power density threshold for lasing was 34 mW cm(-2).