Semiconducting (Conjugated) Polymers as Materials for Solid-State Lasers

Light-emissive polymers are outstanding laser materials because they are intrinsically “4-level” systems, they have luminescence efficiencies higher than 60 % even in undiluted films, they emit at colors that span the visible spectrum, and they can be processed into optical quality films by spin casting. The important materials issues are reviewed and the prospects for making polymer diode lasers are discussed.