Development of high efficiency, small footprint, and low cost UV laser technology

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Lasers and broadband optical sources operating in the deep UV are used extensively in research anddevelopment, as well as in many fields and applications, e.g., manufacturing, medical, and instrumentation.While existing products and solutions, e.g., combining solid state lasers operating in the IR with nonlinearfrequency conversion, can satisfy different demands, they often involve bulk implementations which createschallenges for achieving ultra-compact, rugged, and low cost units. Thus, there is growing interest in usingYb-doped fiber lasers to replace solid state lasers due to their ideal pulse and beam characteristics and availableoutput power; moreover, using a fiber gain medium allows for room temperature operation with no specificcooling requirements, thereby reducing power consumption. There has also been recent interest in developingdeep UV sources based on supercontinuum (SC) generation in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibers(HC-PCFs). Such approaches offer the advantage of simplifying implementation and packaging.This project builds on existing collaborations between McGill University and O/E Land Inc. and focuses ondeveloping ultra-compact, low cost, and high-power deep UV sources with high stability, high efficiency, andexcellent beam quality. Two main R&D thrusts will be explored: (1) optimizing optical systems formaximizing the efficiency of nonlinear frequency conversion and (2) deep UV generation via gas-filledHC-PCFs. A successful project outcome will allow O/E Land to develop new lasers and sources to address atechnology gap, diversify their product portfolio, and give them a competitive advantage in meeting theirclients' needs. Training will provide HQP with opportunities to develop technical knowledge and improvetheir ability to solve complex problems and perform critical analysis; skills which are sought highly in thebroad photonics sector and employers including optical component and instrumentation suppliers such as MPBCommunications (Montreal, QC), QPS Photronics (Montreal, QC), and OZ Optics (Ottawa, ON).