Abstract
1.3 µm solid-state plastic lasers were fabricated using fluorinated-polyimide (FPI) as the host matrix of the active waveguide doped with near-infrared organic dye, IR26. Fabry–Perot type lasing oscillation was observed from the waveguide by using the cleaved waveguide edges under 1.064 µm Nd:YAG laser pulse pumping. The lasing threshold was 4.3 mJ/cm2 and the lasing emission shows transverse electric mode polarization. Photostability of IR26-doped FPI waveguide is shown to be fairly good in the durability test under 1.064 µm laser pumping. This is the first report of plastic lasers in optical communication waveband.