Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik

HL 58: OFETs, OLEDs, and organic optoelectronics

HL 58.1: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 16:30–16:45, EW 202

Light-matter interaction in protein microcavities — •Christof P. Dietrich, Anja Steude, Marcel Schubert, Sven Höfling, and Malte C. Gather — SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, KY16 9SS St Andrews, United Kingdom

There is an increasing interest in using biologically produced structures and materials for photonic applications. Recent research impressively illustrates the broad potential of biological materials for providing optical gain[1]. In particular, fluorescent proteins like eGFP retain a special position within the quickly growing family of biologically produced laser materials. eGFP has a barrel-like molecular structure that prevents concentration induced quenching of the fluorescence by suppressing Förster and Dexter energy transfer[2]. This allows the use of pure solid-state fluorescent protein as efficient optical gain material. We demonstrate highly efficient lasing from multiple photonic states in microcavities filled with self-assembled rings of recombinant eGFP in its solid state form. The lasing regime is achieved at very low excitation energies of 13nJ and occurs from cavity modes dispersed in both energy and momentum. The distribution of lasing states in energy is induced by the large spectral width of the gain spectrum of recombinant eGFP (FWHM = 25nm). Our results imply that there is considerable self-absorption in eGFP and that strong exciton-photon coupling may be observed in fluorescent proteins if suitably designed resonators are used.

[1] M.C. Gather and S.H. Yun, Nat. Photon. 5, 406 (2011).

[2] M.C. Gather and S.H. Yun, Nat. Comm. (in press).