Nanoscale lasers that generate short pulses at high repetition rates have exciting applications in various fields. However, creating short pulses as well as broad frequency combs in nanoscale lasers is complex and remains a relatively unexplored area. Research has focused on materials with two or more types of resonantly coupled dyes for applications in energy harvesting, biocentered uses, and expanding the tuning range of lasers. We propose that a gain medium composed of two types of coupled dye molecules can produce the saturable gain and absorption necessary for short-pulse generation. We present a mathematical model for this proposed two-dye gain material and integrate it with a finite-difference time-domain method. This developed model is used to assess the effectiveness of the two-dye material for pulse shortening in miniature lasers and to explore the role of a simple one-dimensional photonic cavity in pulsed laser operation. Additionally, we investigate various possible modes of laser operation by varying key design parameters of the dye molecules and the cavity. The findings indicate that the proposed laser can emit a train of short pulses and frequency combs with appropriate tuning of both the laser medium and the cavity. When the parameters of the material and cavity are optimally adjusted, the two-dye gain-medium-based laser is capable of emitting subpicosecond pulses at repetition rates in the hundreds of gigahertz.

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• Laser dynamics
• Nanophotonics
• Ultrashort pulses
• Dye lasers