Laser Technologies for Future Manufacturing
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC)
Abstract
Modern manufacturing has been revolutionised by photonics. Lasers are central to this revolution, as they continue to transform the fast-changing manufacturing landscape. Photonics manufacturing represents an industry worth £10.5bn per annum to the UK economy, growing at about 8.5% annually and directly employing more than 70,000 people. UK Photonics exports are currently the 4th largest by value of any UK manufacturing sector, following automotive, aerospace and machinery exports. More importantly, UK Photonics exports more than 75% of its output relative to the UK manufacturing average of only 34%. Laser technology in particular underpins a number of leading UK industries in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare engineering sectors. Over four decades, the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton has maintained a position at the forefront of photonics research. Its long and well-established track record in fibres, lasers, waveguides, devices, and optoelectronic materials has fostered innovation, enterprise, and cross-boundary multi-disciplinary activities. Advanced fibres and laser sub-systems, manufactured in Southampton by companies spun-out from the Optoelectronics Research Centre, are exported worldwide.
Working closely with UK photonics industry, our interconnected and highly synergetic group will optimally combine different laser technologies into hybrid platforms for miniaturised, efficient, low-cost, agile and reconfigurable smart laser systems with software-driven performance. This is only possible because of the controllable, stable and robust, all-solid state nature of guided-wave lasers. A smart laser looks like its electronic equivalent - a single small sealed maintenance-free enclosure with a fully controlled output that is responsive to changes in the workpiece. The laser knows what material it is processing, how the process is developing and when it is finished. It is able to adapt to changes in the materials, their shape, reflectivity, thickness and orientation. This leads to new tools that enable innovative manufacturing processes that are critical in increasing competitiveness in important manufacturing sectors. Finally, the advanced laser technologies developed within this platform are expected to have a wider impact outside the manufacturing arena, in areas such as sensing, healthcare, and the medical sectors, as well as homeland security helping to establish an important laser sovereign capability.
Working closely with UK photonics industry, our interconnected and highly synergetic group will optimally combine different laser technologies into hybrid platforms for miniaturised, efficient, low-cost, agile and reconfigurable smart laser systems with software-driven performance. This is only possible because of the controllable, stable and robust, all-solid state nature of guided-wave lasers. A smart laser looks like its electronic equivalent - a single small sealed maintenance-free enclosure with a fully controlled output that is responsive to changes in the workpiece. The laser knows what material it is processing, how the process is developing and when it is finished. It is able to adapt to changes in the materials, their shape, reflectivity, thickness and orientation. This leads to new tools that enable innovative manufacturing processes that are critical in increasing competitiveness in important manufacturing sectors. Finally, the advanced laser technologies developed within this platform are expected to have a wider impact outside the manufacturing arena, in areas such as sensing, healthcare, and the medical sectors, as well as homeland security helping to establish an important laser sovereign capability.
Planned Impact
The proposal will deliver academic, economic and societal, environmental, as well as wider national impact.
1. Academic impact: Innovative manufacturing research will benefit from the exploitation of the synergies between mature advanced technologies. New research ideas, as well as ground-breaking and disruptive manufacturing laser tools are expected to be developed by the proposed hybridisation and optimum combination of the technology strengths of the two proven and complementary guide-wave laser technologies. This will result in a number of innovative research proposals, high impact journal and conference publications and patents. The group will also be working with leading UK academics through the newly established Southampton/Sheffield Future Photonics Hub further increasing its academic and industrial outreach and impact.
2. Economic and societal impacts: The Optoelectronics Research Centre has an extensive track record in turning ideas into viable businesses, as evidenced by the number of start-ups in the local area, and working closely with industry. This platform grant will enable the investigators and researchers to work closely with laser manufacturers and industrial end-users to develop new laser-based manufacturing tools, which add value and provide advanced performance tailored to the manufacturing processes. The platform will also train people with skills needed by the modern advanced manufacturing industry, and develop the next generation of manufacturing research leaders. This is expected to create new jobs and offer job security in the fast-changing and highly competitive manufacturing sector.
The Platform aligns well with the EPSRC's strategic view of Digital Manufacturing and UK Laser-based Manufacturing Applications roadmap, as well as with the Innovate UK delivery plan. It will contribute to future UK economic success and development of emerging industries. UK manufacturing sectors expected to benefit from the Platform's outputs include precision/micro processing laser manufacturers, leading additive laser manufacturing developers, as well as, defence/security/aerospace system manufacturers, laser manufacturers supplying life-science instrumentation, industrial biotechnology, laser component manufacturers and national trade associations for industrial laser users/developers (e.g. AILU). The Platform will also benefit important emerging industries in additive manufacturing, short pulse (femto/picosecond) processing, composite material processing, functional surfaces, as well as, energy sectors in efficient integrated photovoltaics.
In addition, it will address other key UK societal challenges, such as Sustainable (Green) Economy (e.g. by building light weight cars, batteries and fuel cells), and Ageing Society (e.g. by enabling better quality affordable life enhancing devices, from pace-makers to synthetic bones).
3. Environmental impact will be achieved through developing the next generation of energy efficient and agile laser tools, which is very important in heavy-duty manufacturing. Using laser tools with the right wavelength tailored to the manufacturing process and increasing laser efficiency can minimise the electrical power consumption and increase the manufacturing speed. For example, using green rather than infrared laser radiation can double the speed and half the power requirements of micro-welding copper, silver and gold, materials extensively used in the electronics industry, resulting in substantial savings.
4. Wider Impact: The advanced laser technologies developed within this platform are also expected to have a wider impact outside the manufacturing arena, in areas such as homeland security, sensing, healthcare, the medical arena, as well as helping to establish an important laser sovereign capability.
1. Academic impact: Innovative manufacturing research will benefit from the exploitation of the synergies between mature advanced technologies. New research ideas, as well as ground-breaking and disruptive manufacturing laser tools are expected to be developed by the proposed hybridisation and optimum combination of the technology strengths of the two proven and complementary guide-wave laser technologies. This will result in a number of innovative research proposals, high impact journal and conference publications and patents. The group will also be working with leading UK academics through the newly established Southampton/Sheffield Future Photonics Hub further increasing its academic and industrial outreach and impact.
2. Economic and societal impacts: The Optoelectronics Research Centre has an extensive track record in turning ideas into viable businesses, as evidenced by the number of start-ups in the local area, and working closely with industry. This platform grant will enable the investigators and researchers to work closely with laser manufacturers and industrial end-users to develop new laser-based manufacturing tools, which add value and provide advanced performance tailored to the manufacturing processes. The platform will also train people with skills needed by the modern advanced manufacturing industry, and develop the next generation of manufacturing research leaders. This is expected to create new jobs and offer job security in the fast-changing and highly competitive manufacturing sector.
The Platform aligns well with the EPSRC's strategic view of Digital Manufacturing and UK Laser-based Manufacturing Applications roadmap, as well as with the Innovate UK delivery plan. It will contribute to future UK economic success and development of emerging industries. UK manufacturing sectors expected to benefit from the Platform's outputs include precision/micro processing laser manufacturers, leading additive laser manufacturing developers, as well as, defence/security/aerospace system manufacturers, laser manufacturers supplying life-science instrumentation, industrial biotechnology, laser component manufacturers and national trade associations for industrial laser users/developers (e.g. AILU). The Platform will also benefit important emerging industries in additive manufacturing, short pulse (femto/picosecond) processing, composite material processing, functional surfaces, as well as, energy sectors in efficient integrated photovoltaics.
In addition, it will address other key UK societal challenges, such as Sustainable (Green) Economy (e.g. by building light weight cars, batteries and fuel cells), and Ageing Society (e.g. by enabling better quality affordable life enhancing devices, from pace-makers to synthetic bones).
3. Environmental impact will be achieved through developing the next generation of energy efficient and agile laser tools, which is very important in heavy-duty manufacturing. Using laser tools with the right wavelength tailored to the manufacturing process and increasing laser efficiency can minimise the electrical power consumption and increase the manufacturing speed. For example, using green rather than infrared laser radiation can double the speed and half the power requirements of micro-welding copper, silver and gold, materials extensively used in the electronics industry, resulting in substantial savings.
4. Wider Impact: The advanced laser technologies developed within this platform are also expected to have a wider impact outside the manufacturing arena, in areas such as homeland security, sensing, healthcare, the medical arena, as well as helping to establish an important laser sovereign capability.
Organisations
- University of Southampton (Lead Research Organisation)
- Fujikura (Collaboration)
- SPI Lasers UK (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
- Rofin (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Leonardo (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- ICEE Managed Services Ltd (Project Partner)
- Renishaw (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Private Address (Project Partner)
- Novanta (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Fianium (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- HyperTeknologies Ltd (Project Partner)
- TRUMPF (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Coherent (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- KU Leuven (Project Partner)
Publications
Zervas MN
(2019)
Transverse mode instability, thermal lensing and power scaling in Yb3+-doped high-power fiber amplifiers.
in Optics express
Zervas M
(2017)
Power scalability in high power fibre amplifiers
Zervas M
(2019)
Transverse-modal-instability gain in high power fiber amplifiers: Effect of the perturbation relative phase
in APL Photonics
Zervas M
(2018)
Pulsed fibre laser with spatial and temporal control
Xu L
(2018)
Highly efficient frequency doubling and quadrupling of a short-pulsed thulium fiber laser.
in Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics
Xu D
(2021)
Widely-tunable synchronisation-free picosecond laser source for multimodal CARS, SHG, and two-photon microscopy.
in Biomedical optics express
Xie Y
(2024)
Single-step phase identification and phase locking for coherent beam combination using deep learning.
in Scientific reports
Wu Z.
(2019)
Femtosecond pulses generated from a compact all-polarization-maintaining (PM) Ytterbium-doped fiber laser
in 2019 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2019 - Proceedings
Wu Y
(2022)
High-energy, mid-IR, picosecond fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator.
in Optics letters
Wu Y
(2023)
15-µJ picosecond hollow-core-fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator.
in Optics express
Wu D
(2023)
Broadband, tunable wavelength conversion using tapered silicon fibers extending up to 2.4 µ m
in APL Photonics
Vukovic N.
(2022)
Indirect Measurement of LP01 Effective Area Reduction in Bent Large-Core Step-Index Fibres Using Raman Scattering
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Vukovic N.
(2022)
Nonlinear Effects in Bent Large-Mode-Area Multimode Fibres
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Vukovic N.
(2022)
Indirect Measurement of LP01 Effective Area Reduction in Bent Large-Core Step-Index Fibres Using Raman Scattering
in 2022 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2022 - Proceedings
Vukovic N
(2019)
Fast and Controllable Beam Switching in a Pulsed Fiber Laser
in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Vukovic N
(2021)
Fibre-delivered kilowatt petal beams with self-healing properties
Tong A
(2020)
Spectroscopy of thulium-doped tantalum pentoxide waveguides on silicon
in Optical Materials Express
Tawy G
(2023)
Temperature-tunable UV generation using an Alexandrite laser and PPLN waveguides.
in Optics express
Stehlik M
(2022)
Sub-picosecond 1030 nm laser-induced damage threshold evaluation of pulsed-laser deposited sesquioxide thin films
in Optical Engineering
Stehlik M
(2022)
Sub-picosecond 1030 nm laser-induced damage threshold evaluation of pulsed-laser deposited sesquioxide thin films
in Optical Engineering
Sima C
(2017)
Integrated reconfigurable photonic filters based on interferometric fractional Hilbert transforms
in Applied Optics
Shayeganrad G
(2020)
Highly efficient 110-W closed-cycle cryogenically cooled Nd:YAG laser operating at 946 nm.
in Optics letters
Shardlow P
(2019)
Hybrid Ho:YAG Laser with 50W Radially-Polarised Output
Scarnera V
(2017)
Transient modal instabilities in high power fibre lasers
Scarnera V
(2019)
Modal instabilities in high power fiber laser oscillators.
in Optics express
Saha, S.
(2024)
SPIE Optical Systems Design
Ren Z.
(2019)
Robust, High Peak Power, Thulium-Doped Fiber Chirped-Pulse Amplification System Using a Dissipative Soliton Seed Laser
in 2019 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2019 - Proceedings
Ren Z
(2021)
Compact chirped-pulse amplification systems based on highly Tm3+-doped germanate fiber.
in Optics letters
Nasir M
(2020)
Plasmonics Microbottle Resonator of Meniscus Gold
N K Thipparapu
(2019)
O-band Bi-doped fibre amplifiers: Present and Future
in Asian Journal of Physics
Mourkioti G
(2023)
Sc2O3 on sapphire all-crystalline grating-waveguide resonant reflectors
in Applied Physics B
Mitchell C.J.
(2021)
A thulium-doped tantalum pentoxide waveguide laser
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Mills B.
(2022)
Phase Identification and Bespoke Beam Shaping for Coherent Beam Combination via Deep Learning
in 2022 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2022 - Proceedings
Mills B.
(2022)
Phase Identification and Bespoke Beam Shaping for Coherent Beam Combination via Deep Learning
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Mills B
(2022)
Single step phase optimisation for coherent beam combination using deep learning.
in Scientific reports
Mills B
(2023)
Predictive visualisation of high repetition rate femtosecond machining of silica using deep learning
in Optical Materials Express
Malinowski A
(2017)
Overlapped Pulsed Pumping of Tandem Pumped Fiber Amplifiers to Increase Achievable Pulse Energy
in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
Liu Z
(2024)
Multiframe-based non-local means denoising for Raman spectra
in Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy
Liu Z
(2023)
Accurate dipole radiation model for waveguide grating couplers
in Results in Physics
| Title | visualization_1.mp4 |
| Description | Deterministic intra-pulse polarization dynamics associated with optical wavebreaking and cross-phase modulation for an ensemble of 60 200 fs, 8 kW, linearly polarized Gaussian pulses after 1 m of all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber. The pulses were launched with a 4 degree polarization orientation with respect to a principal fiber axis. Left top, center, and bottom: field magnitude, polarization orientation, and ellipticity as a function of time. Right: Polarization ellipse as a function of time. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://opticapublishing.figshare.com/articles/media/visualization_1_mp4/12200048 |
| Title | visualization_1.mp4 |
| Description | Deterministic intra-pulse polarization dynamics associated with optical wavebreaking and cross-phase modulation for an ensemble of 60 200 fs, 8 kW, linearly polarized Gaussian pulses after 1 m of all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber. The pulses were launched with a 4 degree polarization orientation with respect to a principal fiber axis. Left top, center, and bottom: field magnitude, polarization orientation, and ellipticity as a function of time. Right: Polarization ellipse as a function of time. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://opticapublishing.figshare.com/articles/media/visualization_1_mp4/12200048/1 |
| Title | visualization_2.mp4 |
| Description | Intra-pulse polarization dynamics associated with Raman amplification of quantum noise, self-phase modulation, and cross-phase modulation for an ensemble of 60 7 ps, 8 kW, linearly polarized Gaussian pulses after 1 m of all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber. The polarization is quasi-chaotic where Raman amplification dominates (between -5 ps and 1.5 ps), and remains deterministic where self- and cross-phase modulation dominate in the pulse wings. The pulses were launched with a 4 degree polarization orientation with respect to a principal fiber axis. Left top, center, and bottom: field magnitude, polarization orientation, and ellipticity as a function of time. Right: Polarization ellipse as a function of time. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://opticapublishing.figshare.com/articles/media/visualization_2_mp4/12200051/1 |
| Title | visualization_2.mp4 |
| Description | Intra-pulse polarization dynamics associated with Raman amplification of quantum noise, self-phase modulation, and cross-phase modulation for an ensemble of 60 7 ps, 8 kW, linearly polarized Gaussian pulses after 1 m of all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber. The polarization is quasi-chaotic where Raman amplification dominates (between -5 ps and 1.5 ps), and remains deterministic where self- and cross-phase modulation dominate in the pulse wings. The pulses were launched with a 4 degree polarization orientation with respect to a principal fiber axis. Left top, center, and bottom: field magnitude, polarization orientation, and ellipticity as a function of time. Right: Polarization ellipse as a function of time. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://opticapublishing.figshare.com/articles/media/visualization_2_mp4/12200051 |
| Description | 1) A 2 W deep-ultraviolet (DUV) source at 274 nm with 5.6 kW peak power is demonstrated by frequency quadrupling a diode-seeded, polarization-maintaining (PM), Yb-doped fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system delivering 1.8 ns pulses at a repetition rate of 200 kHz. This is the first kW peak power pulsed UV system reported at 274 nm which has great potential for machining insulators, 2D materials, isotopic separation of Calcium-48, and fluorescence analysis of biological molecules. 2) An all-in-fiber device that modifies the spatial modes in the delivery fiber removes the need for complex and expensive additional optical components and ensures maximum power is maintained across the beam profile, regardless of the chosen mode. The switching time from low to high BPP is typically around 30ms, which is fast enough to easily change between piercing and cutting applications 'on the fly'. The two modes currently available have been carefully selected to address a wide range of materials processing applications: a) A Low Beam Parameter Product (BPP) mode profile, excellent for fast cutting of thin metals, especially bright highly reflective ones, but also for producing high speed high quality pierces in thick sheets. b) A High BPP mode giving excellent, smooth cut edges at good speeds when cutting thick metal sheets, especially mild steel. The technology has been transferred to SPI Lasers Ltd and it is marketed by the trade name variMODE. It is the most important USP in the 3-10kW fibre laser product range. 3) Novel apparatus to provide variable beam profile/quality, and true single-mode delivery with adjustable output beams into higher-order azimuthal modes that form "quasi-ring" petal profiles through a single MM delivery fibre. Preliminary application results have shown unique metal cutting and welding performance. 4) Experimental demonstration that under partial obstruction the special petal beams can be reconstructed through propagation in free space. This effect is believed to contribute to the unique metal cutting and welding performance of such beams 5) Demonstration of proof-of-concept structured light generation experiment, using a cladding-pumped 7-core MCF amplifier as an integrated parallel amplifier array and a spatial light modulator (SLM) to actively control the amplitude, polarization and phase of the signal light input to each fibre core. We reported the successful generation of various structured light beams including high-order linearly polarized spatial fibre modes, cylindrical vector (CV) beams and helical phase front optical vortex (OV) beams. 6) Novel 15-µJ picosecond hollow-core-fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator for material processing 7) High-energy, mid-IR, picosecond fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator for telecom applications |
| Exploitation Route | Material processing labs can use this laser to explore the insulator machining capabilities The variMODE technology has been transferred to SPI Lasers Ltd and forms now the most important USP introduced in the 3-10kW fibre laser product range. Cladding-pumped 7-core multi-core fibre amplifier can be developed as a powerful industrial platform for structured light generation for advanced material processing applications. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| URL | https://www.spilasers.com/varimode/ |
| Description | In the past few years there has been an intensive collaboration between the Advanced Laser Laboratory (ALL) and the teams in SPI Lasers both in Southampton and Rugby. The major aspect of this collaboration was based on beam control of high power fibre lasers. Following our continuous progress, the first demonstrator and a commercial product 'Varimode' was introduced within the industry SPI Lasers. Varimode allows users to tailor fiber laser system to optimise the beam characteristics (including spot size and beam profile), specific to the application (cutting, welding, piercing or additive manufacture). University start-up Highfield Diagnostics (Prof R.W. Eason, Founder& Director; Dr. Collin Sones, Founder & CTO) was established in 2017, with more than 50 years of academic and practical experience, has dedicated itself to creating the best solution in point-of-care diagnostics. Advanced laser technology developed in the ORC has enabled the company to produce a patterned paper substrate capable of diagnosing multiple conditions in a single, rapid, portable test. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Impact Acceleration Project |
| Amount | £120,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | SP2001/M |
| Organisation | SPI Lasers UK |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 09/2019 |
| Description | Lighting the way to a healthy nation - optical 'X-rays' for walk through diagnosis & therapy |
| Amount | £5,446,592 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/T020997/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2020 |
| End | 05/2025 |
| Description | Novel fibre fabrication techniques |
| Amount | £105,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Fibercore |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2027 |
| Description | RAEng Chair and Advanced Laser Lab |
| Amount | £247,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | SP2001/N |
| Organisation | SPI Lasers UK |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 08/2020 |
| Description | RAEng Chair and Advanced Laser Lab |
| Amount | £233,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | SP2001/L |
| Organisation | SPI Lasers UK |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2018 |
| End | 08/2019 |
| Description | RAEng Chair and Advanced Laser Laboratory |
| Amount | £211,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | SP2001/O - RAEng Chair and Advanced Laser Laboratory - 1st Nov 2020 to 31st August 2021, £211k |
| Organisation | SPI Lasers UK |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 08/2021 |
| Description | Research Chair |
| Amount | £250,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2017 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Title | Advanced Fibre Preform Characterisation Tool |
| Description | This device is now fully integrated into SPI Lasers' fibre fabrication facilities and used to characterise preforms for high power fibre lasers and amplifiers |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | As a result of this advanced preform characterisation technique, the fibre laser efficiency has increased from ~25% to >35%, a significant improvement resulting in ~28% reduction the required pump diode power. |
| Title | Preform Core and Pedestal Refractive Index characterisation apparatus |
| Description | Optical imaging set-up which provides high quality images of the optical preform core structure. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The apparatus provides high quality images of the core structure in addition to information of the refractive index distribution. This additional information is not available by commercial refractive index profilometers. The information is critical in identifying parts of the preform that can potentially be limiting severely the fibre laser performance at a very early stage, thus avoiding unnecessary production steps and saving manufacturing time and costs. |
| Title | Preform Dopant Distribution Research Tool |
| Description | This version of the research tool provides extremely useful information about the dopant distribution in fibre preforms. In contrast with traditional methods, this tool provides non-destructive measurements and enables the use of the preform after characterisation. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The first version of the tool has already been available to other fibre fabrication groups in the ORC and the supporting company (SPI Lasers) and has a positive impact on the active preform screening. This technique has now been extended to provide nondestructive information about the Refractive index and Dopant Profile as well as the absolute dopant concentration. The technique has been transferred to the supporting company. |
| Title | apparatus and software to determine independently the actual level of dopant concentration in doped optical preforms in a non-destructive manner. |
| Description | This novel apparatus uses bi-directional dual pump illumination technique to measure the actual dopant concentration level inside the optical preform core. This is achieved by consecutively using one-sided pump illumination and using the asymmetric absorption profiles to extract unambiguously the actual dopant concentration level. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This research tool is unique in providing the actual level of the laser dopant concentration inside the preform core, in addition to the relative dopant distribution profile. Currently there is no commercial apparatus providing this extremely useful information in situ and non-destructively. This unique apparatus saves substantial amount of preform optimisation time. |
| Title | Dataset supporting the article "15-µJ picosecond hollow-core-fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator". |
| Description | This dataset supports the publication by Wu, Yudi et al (2020) "15-µJ picosecond hollow-core-fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator" published in Optics Express. This dataset contains experimental data for the paper specifically on that from the 8 figures from the article. The project was funded by: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) : projects- EP/P030181/1; EP/P027644/1; EP/V038036/1; EP/T020997/1 |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477966 |
| Title | Dataset to support the paper '33 W radially polarized emission from a double-pass Ho:YAG thin-slab amplifier' |
| Description | Dataset for '33 W radially polarized emission from a double-pass Ho:YAG thin-slab amplifier' in Journal of the Optical Society of America B. This dataset contains the data used in the generation of Figures 2 and 4 in the manuscript. The figures are as follows: Fig. 2. Output power curve for the radially polarized Ho:YAG seed laser. Inset, top-left: emission spectrum at 13.2 W. Inset, bottom-right: near-field ring-shaped pump beam profile. Fig. 4. Output power curve for the Ho:YAG thin-slab amplifier with a 13.2 W seed input. Inset, top-left: simulated variation in pump and seed beam areas along the length of the crystal. Inset, bottom-right: amplifier gain versus absorbed pump. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/467981/ |
| Description | Collaboration with Fujikura Ltd on multicore doped optical fibres |
| Organisation | Fujikura |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The development of rare earth doped multicore fibres and associated beam combined fibre laser demonstrations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Supply of high concentration ytterbium doped preforms with excellent length homogeneity. |
| Impact | High profile academic papers anticipated. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with the Institute for Life Sciences (University of Southampton - Prof. Sumeet Mahajan) in the area of multimodal medical imaging using fibre lasers |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Department | Institute for Life Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Development of optical fibres and fibre laser sources for biomedical imaging, supervision of a joint PhD student (funded 50:50 by the Optoelectronics Research Centre/Institute for Life Sciences) |
| Collaborator Contribution | Lab access, imaging experiments on biological/phantom structures, data interpretation and design of experiments/target setting, joint PhD supervision). |
| Impact | Academic papers in press. The collaboration is strongly multidisciplinary (Photonics/Life Sciences). |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | preform testing |
| Organisation | SPI Lasers UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Extensive testing of specially made experimental preforms and data analysis. The collaboration was extended to measure relative distributions as well as absolute values of dopant concentration in experimental advanced preforms |
| Collaborator Contribution | preparation of two special preforms in order to test the accuracy of the testing equipment. provision of additional preforms to test the accuracy of absolute dopant concentration measurements |
| Impact | Valuable data regarding the refractive index distribution and active dopant distribution inside advanced optical preforms with very complex distributions. Measurement of absolute values of dopant concentration without destroying the preform |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Title | Novel Fibre Laser Azimuthal Beam Shaping apparatus |
| Description | Novel apparatus to provide variable beam profile/quality, and true single-mode delivery with adjustable output beams into higher-order azimuthal modes that form "quasi-ring" profiles through a single MM delivery fibre. |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Preliminary results have shown that the biggest advantage with the azimuthal beam has been reactive thick section mild steel cutting. A 1.6kW laser using an output high order ring-like beam (LP51) can cut 20mm mild steel. With a 2kW output laser with the same azimuthal beam we can cut 20mm mild steel with a good cut quality, decent speed at 0.5m/min, and a large process window. To explore also the welding potential of azimuthal beam, we performed keyhole welds for a 3mm thick mild steel sheet using Nitrogen shield gas, for a single mode beam M2 1.4 shape and an azimuthal beam with M2 ~6.8. The full penetration weld show distinct differences between a Gaussian- profiled weld and the new azimuthal beams. The azimuthal beam has a broader weld section with parallel hot affected zone boundaries which is advantageous. We also compared weld width and weld depth for three different beam profiles, namely standard singlemode, new azimuthal mode, and standard multimode. The beams were focused above and below a piece of mild steel with a 780µm surface spot size and 2kW of output power. The azimuthal mode beam proved to be much more tolerant to focus position while achieving good penetration depth and mininizing the weld width. |
| Title | Novel Fibre Laser Beam Shaping apparatus - variMODE |
| Description | This novel Fibre Laser Beam Shaping apparatus allows users to tailor their Fiber Laser system to optimise the beam characteristics (including spot size and beam profile), specific to their application, whether that be cutting, welding or piercing. It is based on an internal, all-in-fiber device that modifies the spatial modes in the delivery fiber. |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Based on an internal, all-in-fiber device that modifies the spatial modes in the delivery fiber, this innovative approach uniquely maintains the laser output totally through the central core of the delivery fiber, removing the need for complex and expensive additional optical components and ensuring maximum power is maintained across the beam profile, regardless of the chosen mode. Having both modes available means there is no need to compromise on the laser beam quality when configuring your laser. The switching time from low to high BPP is typically around 30ms, which is fast enough to easily change between piercing and cutting applications 'on the fly'. he two modes currently available have been carefully selected to address a wide range of materials processing applications: 1) A Low Beam Parameter Product (BPP) mode profile, excellent for fast cutting of thin metals, especially bright highly reflective ones, but also for producing high speed high quality pierces in thick sheets. 2) A High BPP mode giving excellent, smooth cut edges at good speeds when cutting thick metal sheets, especially mild steel. The technology has been transferred to SPI Lasers Ltd and it is marketed by the trade name variMODE. It is the most important USP in the 3-10kW fibre laser product range. |
| URL | https://www.spilasers.com/varimode/ |
| Company Name | Highfield Diagnostics |
| Description | Highfield Diagnostics develops a paper substrate using laser printing, which aims to diagnose a range of different conditions. |
| Year Established | 2017 |
| Impact | During the last year of 2021, the company has been trading and secured contracts from a large EU-based company to use our proprietary printing process to manufacture test devices to validate their ongoing products. This is generating ongoing revenues, and is likely to remain a useful source of income for the next year. Our COVID test that was developed and trialled in 2020/21 was featured on local TV. while we were not able to go into production, and have no regulation or validation of these tests (yet), the news item was valuable for promoting our ongoing R&D in the area of rapid diagnostics development. We entered our test for the XPrize foundation, a charity that sponsors work in areas of clear humanitarian need. HDx made it through all the stages to the final, where we were one of five finalists, 1 in the UK and 4 in the US. more info at https: //www.xprize.org/prizes/covidtesting. |
| Website | http://highfielddiagnostics.co.uk |
| Description | BBC Radio 5 The Naked Scientists Podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 'Question of the Week': This involves getting an expert to answer a listener's question within about two minutes/200 words. Answered a question from a listener: "Can a laser be deflected? If there were a scenario where you wanted to direct a laser towards something but the moon got in the way so you need to somehow get the laser beam beyond the moon." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/can-you-bend-laser-around-moon |
| Description | Webinar on "Power Scaling in High Power Fiber Amplifiers" OPTICA Technical Group of Lasers in Manufacturing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | a total of 125 people attended the webinar, followed by a number of questions related to the fibre laser technologies and breakthroughs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |