Self-Amplified Photon Guiding in the Luminescent Organic Semiconductor Nanowires

摘要

Organic semiconductor nanocrystals are important building blocks for miniaturizedroom-temperature optoelectronic and excitonic devices, benefittingfrom their large oscillator strength, high quantum yield, and large excitonbinding energy. Specifically, 1D organic semiconductor nanowires have beenwidely studied with promising applications such as nanoscale light sourcesand optical waveguides. Although both amplified spontaneous emission andlasing have been well demonstrated in organic semiconductor nanowiresunder pulsed laser excitation, amplification of guided photons during propagationalong the nanowire has been rarely investigated. Here, a highly polarizedluminescent organic semiconductor nanowire with self-amplified photonguiding capability under continuous-wave laser excitation is reported. Thenanowire waveguide itself functions as a gain medium to provide optical gainduring its photoluminescence propagation, with the value of gain dependingon temperature and excitation laser power. This research reveals the opticalgain effect in the organic semiconductor waveguide system, which paves theway for on-chip energy-efficient photonic communications.