Influence of ZnO nanoparticles on Coumarin-503 and Coumarin-540 dye mixture for energy transfer distributed feedback dye lasers

Abstract

Using organic dyes Coumarin-503 (C503) and Coumarin-540 (C540) as donor and acceptor dyes, respectively, and Nd-YAG as pumping source (355 nm), an energy transfer-distributed feedback dye laser (ETDFDL) was constructed and its characteristics studied. Theoretical studies such as critical transfer radius (R_o), critical concentration (C_o), and half quenching concentration (C_1/2) were carried out using the absorption and fluorescence spectra of donor and acceptor dyes. On varying the input pump energy to the nanoparticle-incorporated ETDFDL and keeping the acceptor and donor dye concentrations constant, the lasing output obtained was found to be higher than that without the use of nanoparticles. This enhancement was due to the size, shape, and coupling between nanoparticles with the dye mixture. Tunability in the range of 435–553 nm was obtained for both donor (C503) and acceptor (C540) DFDL as a function of the angle of interfering beams of the pump laser.