PowerPhotonic develops optics for ELI high-power laser

04 Jun 2015

Partnership with Lasertel to supply collimator for planned high-rep-rate petawatt source.

PowerPhotonic, a developer of precision micro-optics, has announced that it is working with Lasertel for the supply of a new generation of micro-optics for high power laser diode pump sources.

The novel optics, which are manufactured using PowerPhotonic’s direct write laser micro-machining technology, have been in development for the last five years at the company’s base in Dalgety Bay, Scotland. The optical design provides precise beam shaping in an ultra-compact and reliable optic assembly, enabling Lasertel to collimate the world’s highest peak-power laser diode arrays.

The destination for these new optics is the High Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System (HAPLS), currently being built by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the European Union’s Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) facility near Prague, Czech Republic. The HAPLS laser will be capable of delivering laser pulses at a repetition rate of 10 per second, each with peak power of greater than 1 petawatt.

Roy McBride, MD of PowerPhotonic commented, “we have been working with Lasertel for many years to bring to market a new standard in precision micro-optics for laser diode pump sources. It is tremendous to be working with Lasertel and also to be associated with such a prestigious programme such as HAPLS.

"ELI will be the world’s first international laser research centre, operating in a similar manner to the particle physics facility at CERN. The laser facility aims to host some the most intense lasers in the world and make them available to an international scientific user community.”

McBride added, “Our design skills are supported by an innovative and flexible manufacturing process that allows the company to design both a broad range of state-of-the art industry standard laser micro-optics products and, uniquely, to offer a low cost rapid fabrication service for creating completely freeform optical surfaces.”

“Our focus today is on providing solutions for diode laser and high power laser applications, principally for the materials processing, medical systems, optical communications and defense industries.”

Lasertel honored by Bechtel

Last month, Lasertel Inc. was recognized for its “outstanding work” on Nuclear, Security and Environmental projects by Bechtel Corp’s NSE global business unit as part of this year’s Bechtel Subcontractor and Supplier Recognition Awards.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.