Self-Healing Nanophotonics: Robust and Soft Random Lasers

• Published in: ACS nano Vol. 13; no. 8; pp. 8977 - 8985
• Main Authors: Hsu, Yun-Tzu, Tai, Chia-Tse, Wu, Hsing-Mei, Hou, Cheng-Fu, Liao, Yu-Ming, Liao, Wei-Cheng, Haider, Golam, Hsiao, Yung-Chi, Lee, Chi-Wei, Chang, Shu-Wei, Chen, Ying-Huan, Wu, Min-Hsuan, Chou, Rou-Jun, Bera, Krishna Prasad, Lin, Yen-Yu, Chen, Yi-Zih, Kataria, Monika, Lin, Shih-Yao, Paul Inbaraj, Christy Roshini, Lin, Wei-Ju, Lee, Wen-Ya, Lin, Tai-Yuan, Lai, Ying-Chih, Chen, Yang-Fang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 27.08.2019
• Subjects: self-healability; deformability; random lasers; optoelectronics; soft
• ISSN: 1936-0851; 1936-086X; 1936-086X
• DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b02858

Self-healing technology promises a generation of innovation in cross-cutting subjects ranging from electronic skins, to wearable electronics, to point-of-care biomedical sensing modules. Recently, scientists have successfully pulled off significant advances in self-healing components including sensors, energy devices, transistors, and even integrated circuits. Lasers, one of the most important light sources, integrated with autonomous self-healability should be endowed with more functionalities and opportunities; however, the study of self-healing lasers is absent in all published reports. Here, the soft and self-healable random laser (SSRL) is presented. The SSRL can not only endure extreme external strain but also withstand several cutting/healing test cycles. Particularly, the damaged SSRL enables its functionality to be restored within just few minutes without the need of additional energy, chemical/electrical agents, or other healing stimuli, truly exhibiting a supple yet robust laser prototype. It is believed that SSRL can serve as a vital building block for next-generation laser technology as well as follow-on self-healing optoelectronics.