Solid-state lasers based on inorganic-organic hybrid materials obtained by combined sol-gel polymer technology

Sol-gel glass matrices in which organic laser dyes are embedded can be used as the gain medium in solid-state, continuously tunable lasers. Such lasers are very simple to construct, and potentially very compact and efficient. Unlike the commonly used liquid dye laser systems, solid-state dye lasers can be made mechanically robust and portable. In this article, the development of sol-gel/ dye lasers, including the sol-gel technology, dye properties, and laser operation, is reviewed. In addition, new solid-state hosts (such as polyurethane/silica ORMOSILs), additional organic dyes (cyanines), and new studies on the stability of the dyes are presented. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.