Advanced mid-infrared ultrafast laser technologies and their applications

人们对工作在中红外光谱范围内的激光器越来越感兴趣。这是由独特的科学应用驱动的，包括非线性光学光谱学、频率转换、超连续谱产生、激光手术的医疗应用、通过分子振动光谱进行的环境监测以及先进制造的材料处理。为了支持加拿大公司在这个不断扩大的市场中推进他们的投资组合和商业企业，我们提出了一个大学-工业合作项目，以开发新型中红外激光技术及其应用，以提高其商业价值。这项研究工作得到了三家公司的支持，其中两家来自加拿大（Femtum和Axis Photonique），一家来自法国（GLOphotonics）。通过此次合作，GLO有兴趣与加拿大科学家和公司建立更紧密的关系，以开发能够在中红外光谱范围内产生高功率超短脉冲的技术。此次合作将使GLO能够在加拿大立足，更容易进入北美市场，同时与一家不断发展的欧洲公司建立宝贵的关系。该项目包括五项研究工作，利用互补的学术和工业专业知识。这包括：（1）发展提供皮秒到亚纳秒脉冲的高功率中红外激光器，（2）使用专用的空芯波导减少中红外激光系统的脉冲持续时间，目的是产生2.8微米的亚100飞秒激光脉冲，（3）使用多光子吸收的低带隙材料的材料处理，重点是硅，（4）基于中红外激光技术的太赫兹化学显微镜及其在各个领域的应用，特别是在能源科学中，以及（5）使用中红外光声光谱显微镜检测和分选微塑料。该项目将在三年内完成，并将培养加拿大知识经济所需的高素质人才，包括四名博士。六名本科生和两名博士后。

There is a growing interest for lasers operating in the mid-IR spectral range. This is driven by unique scientific applications including nonlinear optical spectroscopy, frequency conversion, supercontinuum generation, medical applications with laser surgery, environmental monitoring through molecular vibrational spectroscopy, and material processing for advanced manufacturing. To support Canadian companies to advance their portfolios and business ventures in this expanding market, we are proposing a collaborative university-industry project to develop novel mid-IR laser technologies as well as their applications to enhance their commercial values. This research effort is supported by three companies, including two from Canada (Femtum and Axis Photonique) and one from France (GLOphotonics). Through this collaboration, GLO is interested in establishing stronger relationships with Canadian scientists and companies to develop a technology capable of generating high-power ultrashort pulses in the mid-IR spectral range. This collaboration will allow GLO to establish itself in Canada to access more easily the North American market while providing an invaluable relationship with a growing European company. This project includes five research efforts capitalizing on complementary academic and industrial expertise. This includes: (1) the development of high-power mid-IR lasers delivering picosecond to sub-nanosecond pulses, (2) reducing the pulse duration of mid-IR laser systems using specialized hollow core waveguides with the objective of generating sub-100 femtosecond laser pulses at 2.8 microns, (3) material processing of low bandgap materials using multiphoton absorption with a focus on silicon, (4) THz chemical microscopy based on mid-IR laser technology and their applications in various sectors, especially in energy science, and (5) detection and sorting of microplastics using mid-IR photoacoustic spectro-microscopy. This project will be realized over three years and will enable to train highly qualified personnel that Canada needs for its knowledge-based economy including four Ph.D. and six undergraduate students, and two postdoctoral fellows.