Laser Source Development

The Core Competencies page outlines many of the laser gain media and formats in which Fraunhfoer CAP has design and development expertise.  Successful proejcts have ranged from examining new components for laser design, modelling, testign the limits of new coatings through to the full pre-production design and development of new laser sources. The team have experience from UV to mid-IR sources and from cw to ultrfast sources.

GraTi:S - Graphene for Titanium Sapphire Lasers           

The UK has not yet realised the potential of the breakthroughs in Graphene.  This high-risk feasibility project aims to pave the way for the UK’s first flagship graphene-enabled product, a high-value ultrafast laser system for a variety of applications.   This brings together two world leading organisations, Coherent Scotland and Fraunhofer UK to deliver a graphene subsystem which will to give greater functionality and reduced cost, enabling broader use and uptake of a headline export success for the UK.  This will underpin and extend high-value employment lead to social and health benefits.   Whilst early results in graphene suggest it has potential in optical applications, we propose to use it to provide a world first and leading product breakthrough.

Fraunhofer CAP collaborated in this project with:

Coherent Scotland Limited

Miniaturised integrated visible laser sources for displays, augmented reality, sensing and communications - MiniRGB           

This project seeks to develop miniaturised red,green, blue (RGB) laser sources that will play a significant role in future laser displays, augmented reality hardware, optical communications and medical equipment. The miniRGB source will exploit three innovative technologies including two advanced laser manufacturing techniques of waveguide writing and lens formation. Using an ultrashort pulsed laser, 3D waveguides can be written into glass to create optical circuits with great design freedom. The lens formation method uses lasers to micro-machine lens structures onto glass surfaces with complex lens profiles being possible. A third innovation of compact laser array packaging will be used to allow coupled sources more than 50 times smaller than the current state of the art. The project team includes project lead, Optocap, an optical component integration and packaging company; PowerPhotonic an SME specialising in direct laser lens formation and Optoscribe, an ultrafast laser inscription company. The fourth partner, research and technology organisation Fraunhofer UK, will develop the waveguide writing process and build the project demonstrator. The project will feature an industrial engagement work package to find the drivers and stakeholders in the target markets and a commercialisation work package to accelerate the technology to market after the project.

Fraunhofer CAP collaborated in this project with:

ALTER TECHNOLOGY TUV NORD UK LIMITED

OPTOSCRIBE LIMITED

POWERPHOTONIC LIMITED

High peak power ultrafast OPSLs for microscopy - HiPPOs             

Multiphoton Microscopy is a key imaging technique in the biological sciences, enabling high resolution imaging at depths unobtainable via alternative imaging techniques. Currently, the lasers used as excitation sources are complex and therefore somewhat costly, therefore there is a requirement to identify alternate excitation sources. This project will investigate the applicability of innovative laser sources to Multiphoton Microscopy and explore ways of tailoring such sources to enable optimal imaging performance, bringing this unique imaging modality to a wider market.

Fraunhofer CAP collaborated in this project with:

Coherent Scotland Limited