Invited Paper
Real-Time Tunable Lasing from Plasmonic Nanocavities

Plasmon lasers can support ultrasmall mode confinement and ultrafast dynamics with device sizes below the diffraction limit. However, most spasers or plasmon-based nanolasers rely on solid gain materials that preclude the possibility of dynamic tuning. This talk will discuss how to achieve real-time, tunable lattice plasmon lasing based on 2D arrays of gold nanoparticles and liquid gain. Optically pumped gold nanoparticle arrays surrounded by dye solutions exhibited lasing emission that could be tuned as a function of dielectric environment. Wavelength-dependent, time-resolved experiments showed distinct lifetime characteristics below and above lasing threshold. Dynamic tuning of the plasmon lasing wavelength can be achieved by integrating the nanoparticle arrays in a microfluidic device. Tunable lattice plasmon lasers offer new prospects for applications that use on-chip light sources.

todom@northwestern.edu