Optical gain in DNA-DCM for lasing in photonic materials

We present a detailed study of the gain length in an active medium obtained by doping of DNA strands with DCM dye molecules. The superior thermal stability of the composite and its low quenching, permits to obtain optical gain coefficient larger than 300 cm^-1. We also show that such an active material is excellent for integration into photonic nano-structures, to achieve, for example, efficient random lasing emission, and fluorescent photonic crystals.