Mirrorless lasing in a dye-doped ferroelectric liquid crystal

Laser action in a dye-doped ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC)-at the edge of the photonic stop band-has been demonstrated for the first time. The FLC used is a multicomponent mixture with a well-controlled short pitch of its helical structure whose periodic is equivalent to visible optical wave-lengths. The laser emission is optically pumped and can be tuned by changing the temperature, which alters the periodicity of the helical structure. FLCs are expected to find electrooptic applications because of their fast response to an electric field.