Highly efficient and stable doped hybrid organic–inorganic materials for solid-state dye lasers

Significant enhancement on the laser action of Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) has been obtained for solid-state dye lasers based on hybrid matrices obtained by simultaneous polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with different weight proportions of tetraethoxysilane or tetramethoxysilane. Lasing efficiencies of up 28% and high stabilities, with no sign of degradation, albeit with some oscillations, in the initial laser output after 100 000 pump pulses at 10 Hz were demonstrated when pumping the samples transversely at 532 nm with 5.5 mJ/pulse. This photostability is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest achieved to date for organic, inorganic and hybrid matrices doped with Rh6G.