A continuously tunable organic solid-state laser based on a flexible distributed-feedback resonator

We describe a continuously tunable organic solid-state laser based on a flexible distributed-feedback (DFB) resonator. The tunable laser is made up of three organic layers. The active layer is a thin film of PVK (poly(9-vinylcarbazole)) doped with Bis-MSB (p-bis(o-methylstyryl)-benzene), the grating layer is a thin film of PVA (poly(vinylalcohol)), and the base substrate is a plate of PDMS (poly(dimethylsiloxane)). The active layer is pumped by the third harmonics of a Nd:YAG laser. The wavelength of laser oscillation is continuously tunable; an electrically controlled mechanical stage simply adjusts the period of the grating. The maximum range of tuning is approximately 4 nm.