Nanoparticle One-Dimensional Photonic-Crystal Dye Laser†
G.A.O. is Government of Canada Research Chair in Materials Chemistry and Nanochemistry. He is deeply grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada NSERC for generous and sustained funding of his research. The authors acknowledge Ilia Gourevich for aiding with microscopy. F.S. and R.T. acknowledge the European Commission (Marie-Curie RTN NANOMATCH, grant no. MRTN-CT-2006-035884) for financial support. F.S. and D.P.P. contributed equally to this work.
Graphical Abstract
Nanoparticle one-dimensional photonic crystals (see image) possess high reflectivity arising from Bragg diffraction of light incident on a photonic lattice comprising nanoparticle layers of alternating refractive index. The nanoparticle layers provide mesoporosity, allowing for the introduction of a variety of functional molecules and materials into the intrananoparticle voids, creating myriad opportunities for the development of new kinds of optical and optoelectronic devices.
