Laser Materials Processing
The information gained is used to fabricate functional photonic devices such as 3D-waveguides, waveguide-couplers, waveguide multiplexers, diffractive optical elements (DOEs), functional surfaces, surface enhanced devices, MEMS, etc.
In addition to the direct modification of matter, we are using ultrashort-pulsed laser radiation to characterize materials on an atomic level using μ-Raman spectroscopy, SHG and THG, pump-probe experiments and many more. The understanding resulting from these studies is then directly used to optimize these fabrication processes, develop further post-process technologies and overcome disadvantageous material properties.
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Laboratories
LPT Laboratory
The purpose of the Laser Processing Technology (LPT) Laboratory is to develop new technologies and applications employing ultrashort-pulsed laser radiation. The development also involves the research of novel materials, possibly generated using the available laser radiation, and analyzing the result of the development process using state-of-the-art characterization facilities. A detailed presentation can be found at (Link to presentation-pdf).
In general the laboratory is equipped with the following laser facilities, each providing a laser source coupled with a micro-processing station:
- IMRA fs fiber laser processing facility
- MHz laser processing facility
- kHz fs laser materials processing facility
In addition the laboratory can access a number of different characterization facilities, provided and managed by either by LPL (i.e. multi-pump μRaman spectrometer), CREOL (i.e. ZYGO microscope) or UCF (i.e. AMPAC). The ongoing research within the LPT laboratory is listed as followed:
- On-chip bio-sensor development
- 3D μ-optic development in transparent bulk materials
- Semiconductor Modification and Processing
- Bulk Refractive Index Modification
- Material Development for SHG
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Fiber Laser Development
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Fiber lasers have proven themselves in a wide variety of scientific, industrial, and defense applications. Primarily, these applications benefit from one or more of the following aspects of the fiber laser architecture: improve thermal management, insensitivity to thermal lensing, modular design, compact and robust packaging. However, there is a great deal of laser research and development still to be done particularly in the area of high power “eye-safe” lasers λ >1.4 um.
As part of an ARO funded MRI program on “High Power Fiber Lasers” initiated in 2006, LPL has focused on expanding the development of the thulium doped fiber lasers operating at wavelengths from ~1800 – 2100 nm. We have designed, constructed and characterized CW lasers producing <200 W with narrow and widely tunable wavelength, Q-switched lasers producing up to 500 uJ with <100 ns pulse duration at 20 kHz repetition rate, and femtosecond lasers producing <150 fs pulses with peak powers approaching 100 kW.
In addition, we investigate the application of these novel lasers in a variety of fields such as long-range atmospheric propagation, materials processing, non-linear optics, testing of mid-IR optical materials, etc. The investigations range from proof-of-concept experiments for new ideas to component testing to assist our external academic and industrial collaborators in the development of new devices and/or the modification of devices originally designed for use with ytterbium or erbium fiber lasers.
Laboratory
Laser Filamentation
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The Femtosecond Engineered Propagation team is focusing its research on the understanding of the self-channeling process of ultra-high intensity laser pulses in order to control and engineer light channels for stand-off laser-matter interaction.
The fundamental projects are studying the mechanisms of the self-focusing and stabilization of the light channel in gases as well as the phenomena induced by the interaction of filaments with solid surface. The applications developed by the FEP team are covering the creation of controlled arrays of filaments and their application for filament/matter interaction.
Laboratories
Ultrafast Laser Development
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The Laser Plasma Laboratory (LPL) utilizes optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) to generate quasi-single-cycle optical pulses for use in high-field experiments. As part of this effort, we have modeled and developed a novel stretcher design for successful amplification of few-cycle pulses and developed metrology facilities for characterization of pulses exhibiting ultrabroad band spectra.
The HERACLES (High Energy Repetition-rate Adjustable Carrier Locked to Envelope System) program started in July 2007 is designed to be a multi-milliJoule, multi-kiloHertz, few-cycle, carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) stabilized facility in the near-IR. In order to generate the necessary high-energy 1-10 kHz pump for the OPA, we utilize Nd:YVO4 and Nd:YAG rods in high-power side-pumped geometry in both regenerative and multi-pass configurations. This system will provide peak power >0.1 TW at relatively high repetition rate for use in high-field that also benefit from high average power, such as high harmonic generation.
The PhaSTHEUS (PHAse-stabilized Terawatt High-Energy Ultra-Short) program has grown out of HERACLES. PhaSTHEUS is a quasi-single-cycle, CEP stabilized facility designed to generate 100 mJ pulses with <5 fs pulse duration at 1 Hz. This tabletop laser system utilizes an OPCPA architecture similar HERACLES, but the pump line is flash-lamp based in order to achieve sufficiently high gain and large aperture to produce 2 J energy with ~100 ps pulse duration.
Laboratories
Spectroscopy and Sensing
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The Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing Laboratory is focusing its studying the fundamentals of laser excitation of matter to develop better tools for detection and sensing.
The fundamental projects we are studying:
- Molecular processes (carbon chemistry and oxides formation) in laser-induced plasmas in atmosphere
- The creation of analytical plasmas (plasma control by additional radiation)
The target applications covered by the FEP team are:
- The detection of explosive residues
- The identification of biological samples (for defense and medical applications)
- The monitoring of metal traces in food and environment
Facilities:
The LSS team is mainly using the commercial and developed laser sources in LPL, a variety of spectrometers as well as a broad range of detectors.
Laboratories
Solid State Laser Development
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The thin-disk laser architecture is an alternative route to address solid-state laser thermal issues. The first thin-disk laser was demonstrated by Giesen et al. in 1994, and as such thin-disk lasers represent the current state-of-the-art in solid-state laser systems for high energy and high average power. The design of the thin-disk system minimizes the thermal lensing and thermally induced birefringence problems that plague more traditional rod and slab shaped laser gain media.
The thin-disk architecture distributes its heat over a thin (100 to 200 µm) medium with a relatively large cross-sectional diameter (5 to 20 mm), so that the heat flux is oriented collinearly with the direction of beam propagation. And because the beam diameter of a thin-disk system is typically on the order of 1-2 cm or larger, even high power operation of thin-disk systems does not approach the damage threshold of the disk and other cavity elements. Both the large beam diameter and the short length of the gain medium make a thin-disk laser relatively impervious to the non-linear effects that specifically limit fiber lasers systems. This makes a thin-disk system ideal for high peak and average power operation.
The Laser Plasma Laboratory (LPL) has partnered with TRUMPF GmbH and TRUMPF USA, the leading manufacturer of thin disk laser systems, in a collaborative research project. A TRUMPF TruMicro 7050 system is being evaluated for high power EUV applications. Plans are currently underway for the modify another TRUMPF system for use with our established droplet technology for the generation of high average power, high brightness, incoherent UV and EUV light sources. This work will have applications in EUV generation, materials processing, ceramic laser and wavefront distortions in solid state laser media.