Study of poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films doped with laser dyes

1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene, Coumarin-334 and rhodamine 6G have been used to form single, binary and ternary dye-doped poly(methyl methyacrylate ) thin films by the dip-coating method. The thickness of the films was cont rolled by adjusting the polymer concentration. The photophysical properties of the dyes in solution and in film have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Excited-state resonance energ y transfer between these dyes has been observed leading to a very broad col or emission by the ternary system when excited with ultraviolet light. Lase r excitation led to radiation enhancement by waveguide gain and to extensiv e spectral narrowing. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.