I-Corps: Development of a Deep Ultraviolet Laser

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the potential development of a narrow bandwidth continuous wave laser that emits deep ultraviolet (UV) light. One of the key challenges in UV laser technology is long-term stability as UV laser beams tend to degrade the various materials used inside the laser system, including the window and mirror coatings and laser crystals. The proposed technology is designed to achieve efficient output of deep UV light as well as limit the degradation of laser mirrors in the cavity. Currently, the demand for the UV technology is increasing in the fields of materials science and quantum technologies. Further, UV laser technology is thought to be a key enabling technology for the field of quantum computing. In the future, the proposed laser technology potentially may be useful in other areas including biomedical research such as gene-editing, semiconductor inspection and patterning.This I-Corps project is based on the potential development of a compact and modular frequency conversion stage that emits continuous wave deep UV laser beams at the wavelengths of 190-200 nm. The proposed technology is designed to achieve efficient output of deep UV light as well as limit the degradation of optical components in the laser cavity. Initially, the proposed technology has two target applications: Photoelectron spectroscopy and cold atom research. Both applications require deep UV lasers, while cold atom research additionally requires the use of continuous wave laser. In addition, the wavelength of the laser is designed to be tunable, an advanced functionality not available in commercial continuous wave laser systems working in UV wavelengths, which may facilitate configuration of the laser for different applications. This proposed light source may accelerate materials research and quantum technologies including ion-based quantum computing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.