Enhanced lasing properties of BUBD-1 film with multifunctional buffer layers doped with silver nanoparticles

The organic semiconductor lasers (OSLs) have been seen as a promising light source for future applications. Achieving organic semiconductors with low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold is a key progress toward the electrically pumped OSLs. In this paper, the ASE properties of CBP: 2wt% BUBD-1 blend films were optimized using buffer layers containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with different ratios. Both photoluminescence intensity and ASE properties of blend films were optimized when the buffer layer with 25 vol% Ag NPs was introduced. The lowest ASE threshold is 0.47 µJ/Pulse (6.71 µJ/cm²), which reduces 67.6%, and the highest gain factor is 20.14 cm⁻¹, which enhances 47.8% compared with that without buffer layers. The enhancement of ASE properties of blend films was ascribed to the four functions of the Ag NPs doped buffer layers, including the low refractive index of PMMA and the triple localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects of Ag NPs in buffer layers. The results show that the buffer layer modified by metal nanoparticles has great application potential in improving the lasing performance of organic small molecules.