A flexible nanolaser and a method for manufacturing the same
By combining a flexible polymer underlayer and a dielectric waveguide layer, the stability of the laser wavelength of the flexible nanolaser under external stress is achieved, solving the problem of laser wavelength drift caused by resonant cavity structural deformation. This expands its application in bio-implantable detection, flexible optoelectronic integrated devices, and wearable mechanical interaction devices, and provides programmable beam angle control, enhancing optical imaging and dynamic encryption capabilities.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI INST OF MICROSYSTEM & INFORMATION TECH CHINESE ACAD OF SCI
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing flexible nanolasers suffer from resonant cavity structure deformation under external stress, leading to laser wavelength drift and limiting their application in fields requiring highly stable laser wavelengths.
A flexible nanolaser is designed, comprising a flexible polymer underlayer and a dielectric waveguide layer. Guided mode resonance is generated by optical pumping. An optical resonant cavity is realized by a periodic array structure composed of high refractive index dielectric material and combined with a stretchable elastic substrate to ensure stable vertical radiation output under mechanical deformation.
The stability of the laser wavelength of the flexible nanolaser under stretching or bending conditions has been achieved, enabling its application in bio-implantable detection, flexible optoelectronic integrated devices and wearable mechanical interaction devices. Furthermore, by integrating it with a microelectromechanical probe array, the programmable control of the beam angle has been realized, expanding its application potential in optical imaging and dynamic encryption.
Smart Images
Figure CN122292045A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the fields of nanolaser, optical imaging, and optical encryption technology, and specifically relates to a flexible nanolaser and its preparation method. Background Technology
[0002] As a core pillar of modern science and industry, laser technology has been deeply integrated into fields such as communications, manufacturing, medicine, and information technology, becoming a key light source driving the development of precision machining, high-speed data transmission, and high-precision sensing. However, with the evolution of integrated circuits and photonic devices towards miniaturization and integration, the development of laser light sources that combine low power consumption and miniaturization has become an inevitable trend, giving rise to the demand for nanolaser technology.
[0003] In recent years, emerging fields such as biomedical diagnostics, intelligent robotics, and wearable devices have placed increasingly stringent functional demands on laser devices. In these scenarios, devices not only need to conformally fit irregular curved surfaces but also maintain stable wavelength and intensity of the laser output during dynamic deformations such as stretching, bending, and torsion. Traditional nanolasers are typically constructed using rigid substrates. While miniaturization is possible, their inherent rigidity and structural indeformability limit their use in flexible applications, making direct application in fields such as bio-implantable detection, flexible optoelectronic integrated devices, and wearable mechanical interaction devices difficult. While existing flexible nanolasers can achieve a certain degree of bending, the resonant cavity structure deforms under external stress, causing laser wavelength drift and thus limiting their application in fields requiring high laser wavelength stability.
[0004] Guided-mode resonance structures, as laser resonant cavities, offer advantages such as high quality factor, ease of on-chip integration, and vertical radiation output. Their implementation is based on the following principle: a planar waveguide layer is constructed using a high-refractive-index dielectric material, with its top and bottom sides encased by low-refractive-index thin layers, forming a classic planar waveguide structure. This waveguide confines the light field within the waveguide layer through total internal reflection, forming stable guided wave modes. Furthermore, by introducing a subwavelength periodic structure (such as a photonic crystal lattice), the incident light can achieve phase matching with a specific guided wave mode via diffraction coupling, thereby exciting strong guided-mode resonance. At this point, the light is efficiently localized within the waveguide layer and forms coherent feedback, constituting a high-performance optical resonant cavity.
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to construct a flexible nanolaser that utilizes a high-performance optical resonant cavity to achieve optical film resonance and is combined with a stretchable elastic substrate to overcome the problem of laser wavelength drift caused by the deformation of the resonant cavity structure under external stress in existing flexible nanolasers. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flexible nanolaser and its preparation method, so as to overcome the defect of existing flexible nanolasers where the resonant cavity structure deforms under external stress, resulting in laser wavelength drift.
[0007] This invention provides a flexible laser nanodevice, comprising a flexible polymer cladding layer and a dielectric waveguide layer; the flexible polymer cladding layer is a flexible polymer substrate with a flexible polymer hole array; the dielectric waveguide layer comprises a top dielectric material thin film layer and a dielectric material pillar array structure filling the holes in the flexible polymer hole array.
[0008] The flexible laser nanodevice is excited by optical pumping, generating guided mode resonance in the dielectric waveguide layer, thereby amplifying the light and ultimately producing laser light.
[0009] Preferably, for the parameter settings of the flexible polymer array, the laser emission wavelength is mainly determined by the array period and the thickness of the dielectric material film; while the height and diameter of the flexible polymer aperture mainly regulate the specificity of the guided mode resonance and the quality of the emitted laser. In the assembly design, the height and diameter of the flexible polymer aperture are usually equal to half of the array period.
[0010] Preferably, the flexible polymer material can be polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), etc.
[0011] Preferably, the dielectric material includes fluorescent materials such as perovskite quantum dots, CdSe / ZnS quantum dots, and InP quantum dots, all of which can achieve a reflection spectrum with a guided mode resonance peak. To ensure the realization of high-quality nanolasers, the near-field distribution and reflection spectrum of the structure are scanned and analyzed to determine a flexible array structure with a strong reflection peak and a high-quality factor.
[0012] This invention also provides a method for fabricating the above-mentioned flexible nanolaser, which involves depositing fluorescent material by spin coating / drop coating, followed by fabrication of the flexible nanolaser using nanoimprinting technology, specifically including the following steps:
[0013] S1. Fabrication of Si nanopillar array templates using micro-nano fabrication processes;
[0014] S2. Uncured flexible polymer material is coated onto a Si nanopillar array template, and a flexible polymer pore array structure is obtained through a casting and curing process;
[0015] S3. The fluorescent material is drop-coated or spin-coated onto the surface of the flexible polymer pore array, and then immediately covered with a flexible polymer plate to ensure that the fluorescent material fully fills the pore array; finally, after a peeling process, a flexible nanolaser is obtained.
[0016] This invention proposes a flexible nanolaser based on a dielectric material array structure. By precisely designing a periodic array of high-refractive-index dielectric units, an optical resonant cavity is constructed to achieve guided-mode resonance, which is then combined with a stretchable elastic substrate. Based on the principle of guided-mode resonance, under tension or bending, the period of the dielectric array increases in a certain direction (e.g., the x-direction), while the period decreases accordingly in the vertical direction (e.g., the y-direction). These two changes cancel each other out optically, effectively suppressing the shift in resonant wavelength and ensuring stable vertical radiation output even under mechanical deformation. Based on the characteristic that the flexible nanolaser can operate stably under tension and outputs laser light perpendicularly to the array normal, the beam angle can be controlled by applying mechanical compression: the greater the compression, the larger the beam angle. By integrating the flexible nanolaser with a microelectromechanical probe array, programmable distribution control of the beam angle of laser units at different positions in the array is achieved using the probes for localized selective compression. This system allows for dynamic on-chip laser control, providing a new approach for reconfigurable optical systems and showing potential applications in optical imaging, 3D recognition, and dynamic encryption.
[0017] Beneficial effects
[0018] (1) The flexible nanolaser provided by the present invention has good bending resistance and can still work normally after deformation under stress. It can be applied to fields such as biological implantable detection, flexible optoelectronic integrated devices and wearable mechanical interaction devices.
[0019] (2) The fabrication process of the flexible nanolaser in this invention is mild, which can not only reduce the difficulty and cost of the process, but also effectively guarantee and improve the performance and yield of the device.
[0020] (3) The flexible nanolaser in this invention can be integrated with the microelectromechanical probe array, and the laser can be dynamically controlled on the chip, providing a new idea for reconfigurable optical systems and having application potential in fields such as optical imaging, three-dimensional recognition, and dynamic encryption. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible nanolaser in this invention.
[0022] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the fabrication process of an optional flexible nanolaser in this invention.
[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic principle of the flexible nanolaser in this invention.
[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the variation of the laser emission wavelength of the flexible nanolaser in this invention with a period.
[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the nanolaser in the present invention operating under tension.
[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of beam angle modulation of the nanolaser in the present invention under compression.
[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the nanolaser array beam angle control system of the present invention.
[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of face recognition application using the nanolaser in this invention.
[0029] Figure reference numerals: 1-Flexible polymer cladding; 11-Flexible polymer hole array; 12-Flexible polymer substrate; 2-Dielectric waveguide layer; 21-Dielectric pillar array structure; 22-Dielectric thin film layer; 3-Si nanopillar array template; 4-Flexible polymer plate; 5-Stretcher; 6-Microelectromechanical probe array. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to the invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.
[0031] The theoretical basis of this invention is the optical pumping of a dielectric material array structure to achieve guided mode resonance and generate laser light. By stretching a flexible material substrate, periodic compensation is generated along two mutually perpendicular directions of the array, achieving stable laser output. The beam angle can be controlled by compressing this flexible nanolaser.
[0032] Design and optimization of flexible nanolasers:
[0033] Numerical simulations using software such as COMSOL, MATLAB, and FDTD were employed to determine the position of the guided-mode resonance peak through a series of optical simulations. Reflection spectra with guided-mode resonance peaks were achieved for various dielectric materials, including perovskite quantum dots, CdSe / ZnS quantum dots, and InP quantum dots. To ensure high-quality nanolasers, the height, diameter, period, and dielectric material thickness of the flexible polymer aperture array were scanned to analyze the near-field distribution and reflection spectrum, identifying flexible array structures with strong reflection peaks and high-quality factors. For the parameter settings of this flexible polymer array, the laser emission wavelength is primarily determined by the array period and the dielectric film thickness; while the height and diameter of the flexible polymer apertures mainly regulate the guided-mode resonance specificity and the quality of the emitted laser. In the assembly design, the aperture height and diameter are typically equal to half the array period. Flexible polymer materials such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can be selected.
[0034] Example
[0035] This embodiment provides a flexible laser nanodevice, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes a flexible polymer cladding layer 1 and a dielectric material waveguide layer 2; the flexible polymer cladding layer 1 is a flexible polymer substrate 12 with a flexible polymer hole array 11; the dielectric material waveguide layer 2 includes a top dielectric material thin film layer 22 and a dielectric material pillar array structure 21 filled into the holes of the flexible polymer hole array 11.
[0036] The fabrication of the aforementioned flexible nanolaser. Based on the determined metasurface structure and materials, a series of micro-nano fabrication techniques were used to fabricate the flexible array structure. Specific steps are as follows: Figure 2 As shown:
[0037] S1. Si nanopillar array template 3 was prepared using micro-nano fabrication technology;
[0038] S2. Uncured flexible polymer material PDMS is coated on Si nanopillar array template 3, and a flexible polymer substrate 12 with flexible polymer hole array 11, i.e. flexible polymer lower cladding 1, is obtained by casting and curing process. In this embodiment, a flexible polymer array with a period of 500 nm, a diameter of 250 nm, and a hole height of 250 nm is selected as the substrate structure, and the node film thickness is 80 nm to realize laser emission in the range of 500-540 nm.
[0039] S3. CsPbBr3 quantum dots are drop-coated or spin-coated onto the surface of the flexible polymer hole array 11 as fluorescent materials, and then immediately covered with a flexible polymer plate 4 to fully fill the hole array with fluorescent materials, thereby obtaining a dielectric material thin film layer 22 and a dielectric material pillar array structure 21, i.e., a dielectric material waveguide layer 2; finally, after peeling treatment, a flexible nanolaser is obtained.
[0040] Tensile stability test of flexible nanolasers:
[0041] The detection system requires optical pumping, a high-resolution spectrometer, and a stretching frame 5. By twisting the knob of the stretching frame 5, the flexible nanolaser is stretched, changing the period in two mutually perpendicular directions. A stable laser beam is then generated by the optical pumping excitation device, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown. Furthermore, different fluorescent materials require different pump wavelengths, output laser wavelengths, and array structure parameters. In this embodiment, a 355 nm ns pulsed laser (repetition rate of 1000 Hz) is selected.
[0042] Realization of programmable beam angle distribution control in flexible nanolasers:
[0043] By using a probe to compress a flexible nanolaser and altering the normal distribution of the protruding surface, the beam angle can be controlled: the greater the compression amplitude, the larger the beam angle. Figure 6 As shown, this flexible nanolaser is integrated with a microelectromechanical probe array 6. The probe array is used to selectively compress the flexible nanolaser, allowing precise control of the compression position and degree. This enables programmable distribution and control of the nanolaser beam angle on the array, such as... Figure 7 As shown, by designing microelectromechanical probe arrays of different sizes, the extrusion area can be controllably adjusted to meet various precision control requirements. Dynamic control of the number and shape of the beams can be achieved by programming the extrusion position, enabling the reception of light spot patterns with different designs. This function expands its application potential in optical imaging and dynamic optical encryption. Furthermore, by adjusting the beam angle of the emitted laser, multiple beams can form an overlapping area in space, thereby achieving multiple laser sampling at a single sampling point. This method can obtain richer facial feature information from the same sampling point, enhancing feature dimensions and effectively improving the accuracy and reliability of the face recognition system. Figure 8 As shown.
Claims
1. A flexible laser nanodevice, characterized in that, The flexible laser nanodevice comprises a flexible polymer cladding layer and a dielectric waveguide layer; the flexible polymer cladding layer is a flexible polymer substrate with a flexible polymer hole array; the dielectric waveguide layer comprises a top dielectric thin film layer and a dielectric pillar array structure filling the holes in the flexible polymer hole array.
2. The flexible laser nanodevice according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible laser nanodevice is excited by optical pumping, generating guided mode resonance in the dielectric waveguide layer, thereby amplifying the light and ultimately producing laser light.
3. The flexible laser nanodevice according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible polymer material includes any one of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polydimethylsiloxane.
4. The flexible laser nanodevice according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dielectric material includes any one of perovskite quantum dots, CdSe / ZnS quantum dots, and InP quantum dot fluorescent materials.
5. A method for fabricating a flexible nanolaser as described in any one of claims 1-4, comprising the following steps: S1. Fabrication of Si nanopillar array templates using micro-nano fabrication processes; S2. Uncured flexible polymer material is coated onto a Si nanopillar array template, and a flexible polymer pore array structure is obtained through a casting and curing process; S3. The fluorescent material is drop-coated or spin-coated onto the surface of the flexible polymer pore array, and then immediately covered with a flexible polymer plate to fully fill the flexible polymer pore array with the fluorescent material; finally, after peeling treatment, a flexible nanolaser is obtained.