Focused Energy lead project developing laser-driven neutron source for industry...

30 Sep 2024

...and LZH builds laser amplifier for ESA space optical communications network.

A joint project led by Focused Energy, based in Darmstadt, Germany is developing what it calls “the world’s first laser-driven neutron source for industrial use”. The LDRS process (Laser-Driven Radiation Sources) can non-destructively not only image through thick steel or concrete walls, but also inside them.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT), the Helmholtz-Zentrum DresdenRossendorf (HZDR), Photonis Germany, Trumpf and Technical University Darmstadt are involved in the joint research project. RWE is providing premises at the Biblis site for this purpose. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project with €20 million.

The aim of the joint project – called PLANET – is to develop a laser neutron source from the individual components developed by the project partners and thus demonstrate that it can be used for the non-destructive examination of nuclear waste containers.

The LDRS technology developed by Focused Energy is said to be the first non-destructive technology that can be used to characterize large components such as bridges or shipping containers as well as tightly closed containers from the outside. In the past, the inspection method used relied on huge particle accelerators to generate the necessary neutron beams.

The main innovation of the new test method is the neutron source driven by a high-power laser. Instead of using conventional accelerator technology, ions are accelerated by the laser and directed to a converter to generate neutrons via particle reactions.

The PLANET project comprises various sub-projects that build on each other and involve different partners. The high-power laser, which is being built by Trumpf, ILT and Focused Energy, fires up to 100 times per second at a self-renewing target developed by Focused Energy together with TU Darmstadt. The laser accelerates the particles over a distance of a few millimeters.

The particles are then converted into directed neutrons and x-rays in order to illuminate the inside of components and containers. Photonis Germany is developing a large-area, highly sensitive detector for imaging. This detects the incoming neutron and X-ray radiation in order to generate high-resolution image information from it, as in conventional radiological procedures.

LZH builds laser amplifier for space comms network

Scientists at Laser Center Hannover have developed a highly efficient fiber-based laser amplifier for an optical satellite communication system, demonstrating the potential for faster data transmission over long distances.

The European Space Agency is developing a purely optical satellite system designed to reduce the load on terrestrial fiber optic networks in transmitting data streams. LZH researchers have created a prototype fiber-based laser amplifier for such a satellite system, operating in the 1 µm wavelength range, showcasing the fundamental feasibility of this technology.

The highly efficient fiber amplifier with a total optical output power of 100 W enables communication using wavelength division multiplexing. It amplifies ten closely-spaced wavelengths simultaneously in a single fiber, thereby supporting ten separate data channels and increasing the transmission rate of the system.

The researchers achieved an overall wall-plug efficiency of around 30 percent for the amplifier system using the fiber technology, marking a significant improvement compared to traditional amplifier systems operating in the classic telecom wavelength range of 1.5 µm. By specially adapting the amplifier configuration, the scientists ensured nearly identical amplification for all ten wavelengths.

Through the HydRON project, ESA aims to create an optical satellite network seamlessly integrated with terrestrial fiber networks, providing data transmission rates of up to one terabit per second. This satellite system seeks to enhance independence from terrestrial infrastructure, enabling optical ground stations to facilitate communication in remote areas where fiber networks are not feasible. Additionally, an optical space network could take over data communication responsibilities if terrestrial infrastructures, such as submarine cables, are damaged or fail.