Ask the Expert

We’re lucky enough to work with some of the UK’s most prestigious institutes supplying them with best-in-class products for their innovative and world-leading research. One of those institutes is here on our doorstep - Heriot-Watt University.

Heriot-Watt is valued for its pioneering work informed by business and industry needs worldwide. One of these pioneering research groups is led by Professor Robert Thomson from the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences. Professor Thomson and his research group have just moved to the new National Robotarium. A significant piece of equipment in the lab is the PHAROS femtosecond laser system and we asked Professor. Thomson how this ultrafast laser system is helping with his current research.

P.S. - Thank you for your time, Professor. Can you introduce your group and tell us a little about the research you are undertaking?

Prof. Thomson – The group I lead here at Heriot-Watt is the Photonic Instrumentation Group. We are interested in exploiting photonic technologies and approaches for a variety of applications, including astronomy, advanced manufacturing, and medicine.

P.S. - Interesting research. Are there any specific areas you are looking at?

Prof. Thomson - One key area we are particularly interested in is the processing of materials using ultrafast laser pulses. We have extensive experience in using ultrafast lasers to manufacture devices such as freeform micro-optics and 3D integrated optics in materials such as fused silica and chalcogenide glasses.

P.S. - How does the PHAROS femtosecond laser system fit with your direction for that key area?

Prof. Thomson - When performing such work, the specific laser parameters are obviously key to the performance of the final device. These parameters might include the laser pulse energy, pulse repetition frequency, laser polarisation and pulse duration. The PHAROS is a truly enabling ultrafast laser within the group, as it provides exceptional flexibility in both the available pulse durations (185 fs - 10 ps) and energies (up to 200 microJ).

P.S. - What would you consider the superior qualities of the PHAROS and how do they fit in with your research?

Prof. Thomson - We recently investigated the impact of using bursts of pulses on the light-matter interaction processes. This is an area where the PHAROS excels, as it can also provide tuneable GHz and MHz bursts with burst-in-burst capability.

If you’d like to find out more about the research being undertaken by the Photonic Instrumentation Group, please visit phi.eps.hw.ac.uk

For more information on the PHAROS femtosecond laser system, please visit our website photonicsolutions.co.uk