Synthesis of Au@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles and their application to random lasers

Abstract

Au@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with various shell thickness have been synthesized and their application to random lasers has been investigated for dye solutions suspended with such particles. All the systems demonstrated multi-mode laser emissions when the pump energy reached a threshold. The lowest threshold was found to occur in a dye solution suspended with Au@SiO2 nanoparticles with shell thickness of ~ 15 nm. Nonetheless, the system based on Au nanoparticles exhibited the most profound optical coherence at high pump energy. The results are discussed in terms of the cooperative contributions of light scattering and local field enhancement.