Flexible, Stretchable, Tunable, and Switchable DFB Laser

We are reporting on easily-made, flexible, wearable, and stretchable holographic gratings for tunable distributed-feedback lasers. The laser device is formed by the integration of a reflection volume phase grating in a flexible substrate. The grating is recorded in a photopolymerizable mixture by using optical holography. The photopolymerizing material is a new compound derived from a recently developed mixture which is based largely on haloalkanes and acrylates. An appropriate choice of photoinitiators promotes the photoactivation of the monomers at the writing wavelength of 460 nm. The laser device has a low emission threshold due to the high efficiency of the photopolymerization process at 460 nm. Finally, the amplified spontaneous emission of the device can be continuously tuned by simply bending the film. This peculiarity is promising for the manufacturing of optical pumped tunable organic lasers and flexible displays.