Influence of Coumarin Dyes on the Laser Performance of Pyrromethene and Perylene Dyes Co-Doped into ORMOSILs

Abstract

Laser dyes perylene red (p-red) or pyrromethene 567 (p567) were co-doped with coumarin 440 (C440) or coumarin 500 (C500) into MTES- and VTES-derived organically modified silicates (ORMOSILs) by sol-gel process. The effects of coumarin dye concentration on the laser performances of p-red and p567 were investigated. The results from laser efficiency measurements illustrated that at optimized coumarin concentration, the slope efficiency of co-doped p-red increased by a factor of 2 while that of co-doped p567 increased marginally. It was also found that by co-doping coumarin, the laser wavelength of p-red blue shifted and the laser thresholds for p567 and p-red could be reduced. The energy transfer mechanisms involved were also discussed.