SBIR Phase II: Novel Amplification Technology as a Path to Practical Application of USP Technology

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目通过开发一种性能先进、成本效益高且紧凑的超快激光放大器，在光子学领域取得了重大进展。 放大器是产生这种引人注目的光形式的关键因素，以实现革命性的材料加工能力。 超快激光能够以微米级的精度对几乎任何材料进行无热烧蚀。 从历史上看，超快激光器一直局限于笨重的光学试验板系统？理想的学术环境，但不适合实际的商业应用，因为它们的环境温度敏感性和倾向于漂移的对齐。 在此SBIR下开发的技术利用新型激光放大器玻璃材料开发来支持平面波导放大器架构。 当与光纤超快激光技术的最新进展相结合时，本文开发的放大器模块将产生高功率、紧凑且具有成本效益的超快激光集成系统。 此外，在该计划下在平面波导方面取得的进展可用于紧凑、高性能的长脉冲和连续波激光器。 该技术将推进光子学的最新技术，以产生可用于各种应用的廉价、高效和坚固的放大器架构。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为超快激光器提供实用的架构，从而能够在商业市场中发现和应用这种光。 超快激光器发出的短脉冲光烧蚀任何材料的固有能力？包括新型玻璃、贵金属、现代合金、聚合物和其他难以加工的材料。将通过实现新一代制造技术、产品和服务以及推动这些创新的企业来创造巨大价值。 作为一个突出的例子，超快激光能够切割和成形生物可吸收聚合物，如聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物（PLGA），目前正在开发下一代心血管支架。 这些药物在人体内缓慢溶解，以避免再狭窄的并发症。 PLGA是非常困难的机器与传统的激光？由于融化？还是机械技术因为失去了结构完整性 其他示例包括有机发光二极管（OLED）基板的精确、高效切割以及高效率、大面积太阳能电池板的精密薄膜去除。 这项技术将通过提高制造设计的可靠性和淘汰现有的缺陷去除方法（如热酸蚀刻），广泛影响多个行业的业务流程。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project makes significant advances in the field of photonics by developing a cutting-edge performance, cost effective and compact ultrafast laser light amplifier. The amplifier is a key element in generating this compelling form of light for revolutionary materials processing capabilities. Ultrafast lasers enable athermal ablation of nearly any material with micron-scale precision. Historically, ultrafast lasers have been confined to bulky, optical breadboard systems?ideal for academic environments but unsuitable for practical commercial applications owing to their ambient temperature sensitivity and tendency to drift out of alignment. The technology developed under this SBIR leverages novel laser amplifier glass material development to support a planar waveguide amplifier architecture. When combined with recent advances in fiber-optic ultrafast laser technology, the herein developed amplifier module will produce a high power, compact, and cost efficient ultrafast laser integrated system. In addition, the advances made in planar waveguides under this program have utility in compact, high performance long pulse and continuous wave lasers. The technology will advance the state of the art in photonics to yield cheap, efficient and rugged amplifier architectures which can be used in a variety of applications. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to provide a pragmatic architecture for ultrafast lasers which enables discovery and the application of this light in the commercial marketplace. The inherent capability for the short bursts of light from ultrafast lasers to ablate any material?including novel glasses, noble metals, modern alloys, polymers, and other hard-to-machine materials?will create substantial value by enabling a new generation of manufacturing techniques, products and services, and the businesses to drive these innovations. As a salient example, ultrafast lasers are capable of cutting and shaping bio-absorbable polymers, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), now in development for the next generation of cardiovascular stents. These slowly dissolve in the human body in order to avoid complications from restenosis. PLGA is extraordinarily difficult to machine with conventional lasers?due to melting?or mechanical techniques?due to loss of structural integrity. Other examples include precise, efficient cutting of organic light emitting diode (OLED) substrates and precision thin film removal for high efficiency, large area solar panels. This technology will broadly impact business processes in multiple industries by advancing manufacturing fidelity-to-design and by making obsolete the incumbent defect removal methods such as hot acid etching.