Every year, the SCF regional office rewards promising young scientists for the work they have carried out during their doctorate.
In his thesis work, Robin Troiville-Cazilhac synthesised new molecular gain materials for developing organic lasers, a promising but complex area of organic optoelectronics. The complexity of producing powerful and precise light from organic materials, which are more fragile than their inorganic counterparts, has historically made the development of such materials difficult. However, the use of organic materials offers the advantage of allowing multiple modifications of their structures to explore different properties.
This is why three types of materials have been explored over the past three years: donor-acceptor copolymers, fluorescent liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers. Their optical properties have been optimised and tested in collaboration with laboratories in France and Japan, and the best materials have been integrated into functional devices. This multidisciplinary research has led to a significant reduction in laser thresholds, demonstrating the potential of these materials for applications in organic laser devices.