Directional laserlike emission from a dye-doped polymer containing rutile nanoparticles

A novel scheme for generation of laserlike emission from highly scattering media is presented. A high degree of directionality is obtained owing to the excitation of surface plasmons in a silver film. The electromagnetic energy coupled to surface plasmons is transferred to a polymeric disk containing Rhodamine and TiO2 nanospheres placed in close contact with the film. The fluorescence produced in the disk, outcoupled through a prism, displays features of a laser paint plus a high directionality. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.