Self-Healing Nanophotonics: Robust and Soft Random Lasers

Abstract

Self-healing technology promises a generation of innovation in cross-cutting subjects ranging from electronic skins, to wearable electronics, to point-of-care biomedical sensing modules. Recently, scientists have successfully pulled off significant advances in self-healing components including sensors, energy devices, transistors, and even integrated circuits. Lasers, one of the most important light sources, integrated with autonomous self-healability should be endowed with more functionalities and opportunities; however, the study of self-healing lasers is absent in all published reports. Here, the soft and self-healable random laser (SSRL) is presented. The SSRL can not only endure extreme external strain but also withstand several cutting/healing test cycles. Particularly, the damaged SSRL enables its functionality to be restored within just few minutes without the need of additional energy, chemical/electrical agents, or other healing stimuli, truly exhibiting a supple yet robust laser prototype. It is believed that SSRL can serve as a vital building block for next-generation laser technology as well as follow-on self-healing optoelectronics.

Self-healing Materials: A Review of Recent Developments

“…Self-healing materials are widely used in military equipment, electronic products, [14][15][16][17][18][19] automobiles, airplanes, [20][21][22] building materials, [23] biological materials, [24] medical materials [25][26][27][28][29] and biomimetic technology, [30,31] The proportion of application is also increasing with each passing year (Figs. 1 a, b and c), for instance, self-healing materials can be used in dentistry in medical field.…”

Self-Sufficient and Highly Efficient Gold Sandwich Upconversion Nanocomposite Lasers for Stretchable and Bio-applications

“…Owing to the present interdisciplinary technological standards, stretchable electronics have shot their way up when it comes to the demand in the electronics market . The random lasers are no longer aloof, and researchers have been working toward fabricating stretchable, wearable, and flexible random lasing systems . Hu et al .…”

“…36 The random lasers are no longer aloof, and researchers have been working toward fabricating stretchable, wearable, and flexible random lasing systems. 37 Hu et al 38 have demonstrated a wrinkled system assisting random lasing action where semiconductor quantum dots were employed as gain media. There is not even a single report where UCNPs have been subjected to flexible and stretchable systems, thereby exhibiting random lasing as a whole.…”

Bioinspired structural color nanocomposites with healable capability

“…51,52 Great efforts have been made for the development of polymeric materials based on reversible covalent bonds or supramolecular interaction, and these healable polymeric materials have been successfully employed in the construction of healable nanocomposite materials for use as electronic devices. [53][54][55][56][57] Recently, structural color nanocomposites with healable capability have also been obtained with healable polymeric materials, and it has been shown that the introduction of the healable polymeric materials can effectively ensure the reliability and the longterm use of the PCs after severe damage. Furthermore,…”