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尖端、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的关键元素，用于革命性的材料处理能力。超快激光能够以微米级的精度对几乎任何材料进行非热烧蚀。从历史上看，超快激光一直局限于体积庞大的光学面板系统--非常适合学术环境，但不适合实际商业应用，因为它们对环境温度敏感，而且容易漂移。在此SBIR下开发的技术利用了新型激光放大器玻璃材料的开发来支持平面波导放大器架构。与光纤超快激光技术的最新进展相结合，本文开发的放大模块将产生一个高功率、紧凑、成本效益高的超快激光集成系统。此外，在该方案下在平面光波导方面所取得的进展在紧凑型、高性能长脉冲和连续波激光器中具有实用价值。该技术将推动光子学的最先进水平，以产生廉价、高效和坚固耐用的放大器架构，可用于各种应用。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为超快激光提供一个实用的架构，使这种光能够在商业市场上得到发现和应用。超快激光产生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--将通过使新一代制造技术、产品和服务以及推动这些创新的企业创造大量价值。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-乙醇酸)(PLGA)，目前正在为下一代心血管支架开发。这些物质在人体内慢慢溶解，以避免再狭窄引起的并发症。由于熔化？或机械技术？由于结构完整性的损失，PLGA特别难用传统的激光加工。其他例子包括精确、高效地切割有机发光二极管(OLED)基板，以及用于高效率、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与设计的保真度并使现有的缺陷消除方法(如热酸蚀刻)过时，从而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.