Santos, AbelAlwahabi, ZeyadAbell, AndrewGunenthiran, Satyathiran2025-05-282025-05-282024https://hdl.handle.net/2440/144772Conventional laser systems have limitations that restrict their applications including large operating size, high costs and complexity in design. Thus, there is a widespread demand for alternative laser systems that can address these limitations for a range of technologies and applications. Current progress in laser technology is enabling the development of cost-competitive, miniaturised, and highly integrable systems harnessing a range of optical phenomena that have broad applicability across different disciplines, including energy, sensing, environment, security, and aerospace. In this context, this thesis presents the development of a palette of composite lasing platforms based on nanoporous anodic alumina photonic crystals (NAA–PCs). These nanoporous PC structures are engineered through electrochemical oxidation (anodisation) of aluminium and their porosity tailored to harness distinct light–matter interactions. The inner surface of the nanopores of NAA–PCs is functionalised with distinct light-emitting gain media. These include the fluorophore rhodamine B (RhoB) coupled with a surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and dendrimers (PAMAM). Chemical modification of NAA–PCs is performed through micellar solubilisation. NAA–PCs with functionalised light-emitting gain media were demonstrated to produce cavity-free lasing through the mechanisms of slow photons and random lasing under stimulated optical pumping conditions. The combinational effects of structure of NAA–PCs and gain media towards lasing performance were analysed in detail. This thesis demonstrated that: (i) NAA–PCs provide a highly versatile platform material to harness light–matter interactions for light-emitting applications; (ii) engineering the structure of NAA–PCs enables a highly controllable approach to tune lasing from a range of gain media; (iii) the gain medium critically determines the features of the lasing emission from NAA–PCs; (iv) the combination of NAA–PCs with precisely engineered gain media enables the realisation of innovative lasing platforms using slow photon and random lasing as lasing mechanisms. The studies completed in this thesis advance both fundamental understanding and applied knowledge on the lasing performance of light-emitting NAA–PCs with optimised structural and chemical properties. These advanced materials could potentially be integrated into fully functional and marketable lasing systems to address some of the challenges faced by conventional laser systems and improve their applications across various fields.enPhotonic CrystalsLasingLight-emittingNanoporous Anodic AluminaThesis