DENSITY OF STATES AND LASING THRESHOLD IN DYE-DOPED CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTALS
Abstract
As the complex transmission coefficient for a Fabry–Perot dielectric plate is well-known, the density of states (DOS) approach by J. Bendickson et al. [Phys. Rev. E53, 4107 (1996)] was applied to the plate and a formula was found for the spectrum of its threshold gain for lasing from the dye-doped plate. Next, the dispersion relation and the spectrum of the threshold gain was discussed for the infinite helical cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC). Then the DOS approach was applied to the non-absorbing CLC layers having finite, different thickness. The threshold gain spectra were calculated and dependences were found of the minimum threshold gain on the layer thickness and the optical anisotropy of the material. Finally, the results of the DOS analytical technique were compared with numerical calculations based on the precise solutions of the Maxwell equations and, in such a way, the DOS technique has been proven. The contribution of the dye absorption was discussed separately. The experimental data presented in the paper are in good agreement with the threshold gain calculations.
