High-power vortex laser development for machining and optical levitation

激光是一种极其精密的工具，可以提供对我们周围世界的无与伦比的控制，它们构成了许多现代技术和制造工艺的基础。在优化它们的特性方面已经做了很多研究，例如它们的功率或波长，但它们的空间特性提供了一定程度的控制，这是最近才开始利用的。特别令人感兴趣的是光学涡旋，其中激光相位具有螺旋形，给出了光束的轨道角动量(OAM)。带有OAM的激光器提供了大量新的技术机会，已经引起了人们的极大研究兴趣。该项目将专注于开发能够以无与伦比的功率和纯度直接输出这些涡旋模式的固态激光腔。这将包括对开发的技术进行科学演示，但也包括根据特定的现实世界应用定制这些设计。这个项目特别感兴趣的是手性纳米针的制造和反射金属壳的光学悬浮。学生将积极参与这些新型高功率涡旋激光系统的设计、建造和测试。该项目主要是试验性的，但实验室工作将得到理论和计算调查的支持，这些调查有很大的探索余地。这是一个参与从基础激光科学到应用的跨学科领域的绝佳机会，学生将与帝国理工学院和国外的合作者一起工作。

Lasers are exceptionally precise tools that can provide unrivalled control of the world around us, they form the bedrock of many modern technologies and manufacturing processes. Much research has been done on optimising their properties, for example their power or wavelength, but their spatial properties provide a degree of control that has only recently started to be exploited. Of particular interest are optical vortices, where the laser phase has a corkscrew shape giving the beam orbital angular momentum (OAM). Lasers with OAM provide a vast array of new technological opportunities that has gathered significant research interest.This project will focus on the development of solid-state laser cavities that directly output these vortex modes at unrivalled powers and purities. This will involve scientific demonstrations of the technologies developed, but also include tailoring these designs to specific real-world applications. Of particular interest in this project is chiral nano-needle manufacture and optical levitation of reflective metal shells.The student will be actively involved in the design, building and testing of these novel high-power vortex laser systems. The project is primarily experimental, but the laboratory work will be supported by theoretical and computational investigations of which there is significant scope to explore. This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in an interdisciplinary range of areas from fundamental laser science to applications, the student will work with collaborators at Imperial and abroad.