Advanced Controllable Raman Lasers

在过去的十年中，固态激光器由于其优异的输出功率到插头效率而得到了广泛的应用，成为人们非常感兴趣的话题。然而，这些激光器产生的颜色（波长）的有限可用性迫使用户通过使用不适合目标应用的波长来妥协。基于非线性过程的激光系统，称为受激拉曼散射，为这一需求提供了一个简单的解决方案。然而，这些所谓的拉曼激光器的性能和可用性传统上受到非线性过程固有的热畸变的限制。该项目将首次研究自适应控制技术的实施-通常用于天文学-在拉曼激光器内显着缓解这一热问题。通过这种方式，激光器的行为和性能可以远程控制和优化，从而在输出功率、光束质量和可用性方面实现卓越的性能。这提供了几个真正突破的前景，包括一系列世界第一和世界纪录，以及将这些基于实验室的系统转移到工程环境中。这些显著增强的系统将处理广泛的应用，包括天文学、环境监测、化妆品和医学。例如，各种皮肤病的治疗，如牛皮癣或葡萄酒污渍去除将从这个项目中受益匪浅。最后，知识转移是这个项目的一个重要特征，有一整套的活动致力于此。这项技术的转移将由澳大利亚麦考瑞大学和斯特拉斯克莱德大学的两个知名研究小组进行。与M Squared激光器的工业合作也将进行，特别是针对最终演示器的商业化。

Over the last decade, solid-state lasers have been the subject of great interest with a wide range of applications thanks mostly to their superior output-power-to-wall-plug efficiency. However, the limited availability of colours (wavelengths) produced by these lasers forces the user to compromise by utilising a wavelength that is not ideal for the targeted application. Laser systems based on a nonlinear process, called Stimulated Raman Scattering, offer a simple solution to this need. However, the performance and usability of these so-called Raman lasers have traditionally been limited by thermal distortions inherent to the nonlinear process.This project will, for the first time, investigate the implementation of the adaptive control techniques - typically used in astronomy- inside Raman lasers to significantly alleviate this thermal issue. In this way, the behaviour and performance of the laser can be remotely controlled and optimised resulting in superior performance in terms of output power, beam quality and usability. This offers the prospect of several genuine breakthroughs including a range of world-firsts and world-records as well as the transfer of these laboratory-based systems into an engineering context.These significantly enhanced systems will address a wide range of applications including astronomy, environmental monitoring, cosmetics and medicine. For instance, the treatment of a variety of skin diseases such as psoriasis or port wine stain removal will strongly benefit from this project.Finally, knowledge transfer is an important feature of this project with a full strand of activity dedicated to it. The transfer of this technology will be performed within two high profile research groups at Macquarie University, Australia and at the University of Strathclyde. An industrial collaboration with M Squared Lasers will also take place, particularly targeting commercialisation of the final demonstrator.