"This unique property of the organic-dye nanocomposite opens up new possibilities in organic molecular photonics in the condensed phase," Igor Levitsky of Brown University told nanotechweb.org. "It's known that fluorescence of organic molecules in the solid state is affected by self-quenching processes caused by molecular aggregation. In our case the aggregation is strongly suppressed, so we can observe the high fluorescence yield."
Levitsky and his colleagues created the composites by filling nanopores in a 20 µm-thick anodized aluminium oxide half-membrane with Rhodamine 123 dye. The nanopores were staight, 50 nm in diameter and arranged in a highly ordered array with a packing density of 1011 per square inch. The quantum yield of the resulting composite increased after exposure to an intense laser.
"The studied organic-inorganic nanocomposite appears promising for the development of solid organic-inorganic lasers, light-emitting devices, waveguides and novel applications in nonlinear optics and nanophotonics," added Levitsky. "For example, the high quantum yield could be critical for the development of a new generation of nanoscale optical lasers and even electrically driven lasers."
The scientists reported their work in Applied Physics Letters.