Novel laser sources for deep-UV applications

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The deep-ultraviolet remains one of the last untapped portions of the spectrum in terms of wide industrial applications. This is, in part, due to the severe lack of laser sources operating in this regime. This is unfortunate, as it is ideally suited to applications such as the detection and monitoring of substances at range, which is itself extremely important to a number of industrial production, medical and safety processes. This program will be focused on the development of low SWAP (size, weight and price) coherent deep-UV laser sources, and then investigating their utility in a range of exciting and timely applications such as gas sensing; non-line-of-sight communications and fluorescence spectroscopic detection. Further applications of deep-UV light are in sterilisation of surfaces utilizing a narrow spectral band centred around 250 nm with high germicidal efficiency. Deep UV light can also be utilised for material processing, where the short wavelength and absorption properties are used to alter materials on small scales. Challenges arise in the development of such light sources where application tailored performance with respect to emission wavelength, peak or average powers, beam quality or overall system lifetime (due to degrading effects of UV light on optics, coatings and crystals) are required. This project will be focussed on addressing these various challenges in the context of improving next generation industrial products. The nature of this work will include close collaboration with industrial partners for the demonstration and reporting of technical progress in form of regular meetings and working towards fulfilling project goals within the cost and time constraints of the overall project plan. The successful candidate will work on the development of compact laser systems based on solid-state platforms with fundamental emission in the visible to near-IR in combination with parametric nonlinear frequency conversion for the generation of the specified deep-UV light. The developed light sources will consecutively be used to drive prementioned applications with a particular focus on Raman spectroscopy.