Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
University of Southampton
High power Er:YAG laser with radially-polarized Laguerre-Gaussian (LG_01) mode output
Significance of output:
A new and elegant way to generate laser beams with doughnut-shaped intensity profiles and radial (or azimuthal) polarisation using fibre-based pump re-shaping to allow direct excitation in a laser. Motivated by a growing range of applications, particularly in materials processing, these lasers offer vastly increased processing speeds and improved edge quality. Our approach is compatible with high power operation and is the subject of a patent application (No. 1107129.7). The work has generated huge interest from laser manufacturers and users (licensing discussions ongoing), and is the subject of a recently awarded EUFP7 project called HALO (~£580,000).
