MICRO-LASING BEADS AND STRUCTURES FOR COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY AND OTHER APPLICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUES FOR FABRICATING THE STRUCTURES AND FOR DETECTING INFORMATION ENCODED BY THE STRUCTURES

摘要

An elongated structure includes a core, at least one and preferably a plurality of gain medium layers disposed about said core for providing a plurality of characteristic emission wavelengths, and a growth matrix or functionalized support suitable for the synthesis therein or thereon of a chemical compound. Other embodiments can be spherical, or planar with a plurality of optical gain medium dots, each providing a different emission wavelengths. Also disclosed is a technique for selectively locating micro-laser beads of interest, and then aiming a laser source at the bead(s) of interest in order to interrogate the optically encoded identification information. Also disclosed is a bead of a type that includes a functionalized support, and that further includes a gain medium coupled to a structure that supports the creation of at least one mode for electromagnetic radiation, and/or which has a dimension or length in one or more directions for producing and supporting amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The structure can have boundaries that impart an overall geometry to the structure that, in combination with at least one material property of the structure, supports an enhancement of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the gain medium by favoring the creation of at least one mode that enhances an emission of electromagnetic radiation within a narrow band of wavelengths.