Enhanced laser performance of cholesteric liquid crystals doped with oligofluorene dye

We propose a new highly efficient organic dye, oligofluorene, which has great potential for lasing in cholesteric monomeric and glassy liquid crystal oligomers. We perform a detailed comparative experimental study of the laser characteristics of monomeric cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) doped with oligofluorene and a well-studied dye, 4-(dicyanomethylene)-Z-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostryl)-4H-pyran (DCM), commonly used for lasing in CLCs. Oligofluorene-doped CLCs yield a total output energy in the transverse single-mode regime five times that of DCM-doped CLCs with superior temporal and spatial stability. (D 2008 Optical Society of America.