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）一期项目通过开发一种性能先进、成本效益高、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形式的革命性材料处理能力的关键因素。超快激光使几乎任何材料的非热烧蚀具有微米级精度。从历史上看，超快激光器一直局限于笨重的光学面包板系统。理想的学术环境，但不适合实际的商业应用，因为他们的环境温度敏感性和倾向漂移偏离对准。在此SBIR下开发的技术利用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。结合光纤超快激光技术的最新进展，本文所开发的放大器模块将产生一个高功率、紧凑、低成本的超快激光集成系统。此外，在该计划下，平面波导的进展在紧凑、高性能的长脉冲和连续波激光器中具有实用价值。该技术将推动光电子技术的发展，以产生廉价、高效和坚固的放大器架构，可用于各种应用。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为超快激光器提供一个实用的架构，使超快激光器能够在商业市场上发现和应用。超快激光发出的短脉冲烧蚀任何物质的固有能力？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？将通过启用新一代制造技术，产品和服务以及推动这些创新的业务来创造大量价值。作为一个突出的例子，超快激光器能够切割和塑造生物可吸收聚合物，如聚乳酸-羟基乙酸（PLGA），目前正在开发用于下一代心血管支架。为了避免再狭窄的并发症，这些物质会在人体内慢慢溶解。PLGA是非常难以加工与传统的激光？因为融化？还是机械技术？由于结构完整性的丧失。其他例子包括精确，高效的有机发光二极管（OLED）基片切割和高精度薄膜去除，用于高效率，大面积太阳能电池板。该技术将通过提高制造对设计的保真度和淘汰现有的缺陷去除方法（如热酸蚀刻），广泛地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.