PULSE · High-Power Ultrafast LaSErs using Tapered Double-Clad Fibre

A world record power 2.5kW laser providing from picosecond down to femtoseconds pulses at repetition rates up to 1GHz with excellent beam quality will be developed and brought to the market at highly competitive costs enabling widespread industrial uptake. By harnessing the unique characteristics of patent protected tapered double-clad fiber amplifiers power-scaled multichannel laser, unparalleled high-power beam qualities, M2<1.1, and pulse energies 2.5-250µJ will be achieved. Using the state-of-the-art highly stable laser diodes as seed lasers allowing parameter flexibility by ultrafast electrical control of pulse duration and repetition rate will a broad range of high-power laser processing application requirements to be met. An extremely stable advanced all-fiber based configuration allow development of a compact ultrashort pulse laser system. A newly-designed delivery fiber utilising cutting-edge technology of high purity glass material fabrication will be used to capable of handling the very high power ultra-short pulses, preserving beam quality over several meters distance. Pioneering technology based on 3D nano-imprint lithography will be exploited to produce coherent beam combining optics and fiber-facet-integrated micro-lenses for advanced beam shaping elements to elongate voxels. Together these will provide laser pulse delivery via patented polygon scanner technology capable of handling high-power pulses at speeds of up to 1.5 km/s. These will enable demonstration in automotive and renewable energy sectors of ultrafast 3D ablation, low-thermal welding of dissimilar metals and faster cost-effective cutting of ultra-hard materials. Exploitation in the form of high-power laser processing systems will immediately follow, benefitting from the unmatched performance data and detailed cost benefit and investment case analysis performed.