DURIP Few-cycle femtosecond laser system for research on ultrafast laser interactions and imaging
Abstract
The objective of this effort is to create qualitatively new research and research-based training capabilities relevant to DoD areas of interest at the University of New Mexico (UNM) by acquisition of an ultrafast laser system that generates stable-phase broad-spectrum laser pulses shorter than 7 femtoseconds (1 femtosecond is one millionth of one billionth of a second). The extremely short duration and broad spectrum of the laser pulses facilitate novel regimes of laser-material interactions, laser-pulse propagation, optical imaging, and control of nano-electronic components not available from lasers generating longer femtosecond pulses. Accurate handling the extremely short pulses requires qualitatively new skills that are not typical for researchers trained to work with pulses that are few-tens-of-femtoseconds long. Reduction of laser-pulse duration towards few-cycle pulses that carry from one to three cycles of electromagnetic field is one of booming trends in laser development worldwide. To stay aligned with the trend, the DoD programs focused on ultrafast lasers and material processing need more researchers trained to work with few-cycle lasers and more infrastructure capabilities to perform research in the field. However, lasers of this class are currently utilized by only a few research teams in the USA and abroad. UNM is in an excellent position to become another US-based academic institution for DoD-relevant research and research-based training equipped with a fewcycle pulsed laser. UNM has a long history of optics and photonics research and education with an emphasis on ultrafast lasers. UNM s Department of Physics and Astronomy (DPA), School of Engineering (SE), and Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) are the academic home of many internationally recognized experts in the fields of ultrafast lasers, photonics, laser-material interactions, optical imaging, and other research fields directly related to DoD missions. Existing research infrastructure such as electron microscopes, imaging and spectroscopy labs, and nano-materials manufacturing facilities available at CHTM, SE, and DPA provide an environment where the new laser system will make a pivotal impact on the ongoing and future DoD-relevant research endeavors. As a part of university infrastructure, the proposed laser system creates new research-related education and training capabilities at UNM, a minority serving institution, in areas of high interest to the DoD. It will serve students from several academic departments and programs, e. g., Optical Science and Engineering, and Physics who take our educational optics lab or participate in laser-related research as part of their degree programs. The new training capabilities complement existing course topics on nonlinear optics, laser physics, ultrafast lasers, spectroscopy, and laser-material interactions regularly offered in UNM s curricula. The proposed laser system can substantially advance several on-going basic-research efforts funded by ONR, AFOSR, and ARO at UNM. Existing collaborations between UNM and the Air-Force Research Lab will significantly benefit from the new research capabilities enabled by the proposed laser. The availability and use of the proposed instrument will allow UNM faculty, postdocs and students to engage in new state-of-the-art research of interest to DoD for years to come. The total cost of acquisition of the requested laser instrument is $434,586, too high to be included into budgets of regular research proposals or to be supported from internal UNM funding. This and because of the high relevance to DoD areas of interest in research and training, the DURIP program is a viable option to fund the purchase of the requested laser system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 08, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412188
Entities
People
- Vitaly Gruzdev
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of New Mexico