Fabrication

Statistics

Materials science

Biochemistry

Semiconductor

Wavelength

Substrate (aquarium)

Geology

Oceanography

Alternative medicine

Laser

Physics

Nanotechnology

Membrane

Mathematics

Optics

Medicine

Chemistry

Flexibility (engineering)

Lasing threshold

Optoelectronics

Pathology

Nature Communications

Organic semiconductors enable the fabrication of a range of lightweight and mechanically flexible optoelectronic devices. Most organic semiconductor lasers, however, have remained rigid until now, predominantly due to the need for a support substrate. Here, we use a simple fabrication process to make membrane-based, substrate-less and extremely thin (<500 nm) organic distributed feedback lasers that offer ultralow-weight (m/A<0.5 gm-2) and excellent mechanical flexibility. We show operation of the lasers as free-standing membranes and transfer them onto other substrates, e.g. a banknote, where the unique lasing spectrum is readily read out and used as security feature. The pump thresholds and emission intensity of our membrane lasers are well within the permissible exposures for ocular safety and we demonstrate integration on contact lenses as wearable security tags.

Flexible and ultra-lightweight polymer membrane lasers