Random lasers from peanut kernel doped with birch leaf–derived carbon dots
7 days ago
- #carbon-dots
- #biomaterial-lasers
- #random-lasing
- Demonstration of a biomaterial-based random laser using birch leaf-derived carbon dots (CDs) as the gain medium and peanut kernel as the natural optical cavity.
- CDs ethanol solution was microinjected into peanut kernels, preserving fluorescence characteristics and enabling random lasing under pulsed laser excitation.
- Random lasing observed on multiple surfaces of CDs-doped peanut with varying thresholds, attributed to disordered microstructure facilitating light scattering and feedback loops.
- Biocompatibility of bio-derived CDs addresses toxicity concerns associated with synthetic laser materials, offering eco-friendly photonic applications.
- SEM and TEM analysis confirmed the disordered microstructure of peanut surfaces and spherical morphology of CDs with distinct lattice fringes.
- UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra showed successful integration of CDs into peanut kernels without interference from peanut's autofluorescence.
- Threshold analysis revealed varying lasing thresholds across peanut surfaces, with the lowest threshold (96.4 kW/cm²) near the injection site.
- The study highlights potential applications in speckle-free biological imaging and high-security optical anticounterfeiting tags.
- Funding supported by multiple grants including Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonics and Biophotonics and Swedish Research Council.