Welcome

This is a joint project which seeks to lead the way in the development of a new generation of ultrafast lasers. By adopting a modular approach for laser design we aim to demonstrate a platform from which lasers can be designed to address a wide range of user-specific requirements. Although vibronic crystals have been deployed widely in ultrashort-pulse lasers the flexibility offered by conventional laser designs is very limited. To remedy this situation we intend to revolutionise cavity design to enable electrical control of the laser output parameters. Progress is expected to lead to a new generation of lasers that can give applications compatibility that far exceeds that available from traditional laser system designs.

 

Who is involved?

This project is being lead by Professor Wilson Sibbett CBE, FRS, FRSE through his Ultrashort-Pulse Laser Research Group at the University of St Andrews. Other investigators include Dr Tom Brown (also at St Andrews) Professors Ian White and Richard Penty (Centre for Photonics Systems, University of Cambridge) Professor Martin Dawson FRSE, Dr Stephane Calvez and Dr David Burns (Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde). We have put together a research team having complementary expertise and established track records of international excellence in photonics. This project as a whole will be managed from St Andrews University but all three research groups will undertake interactive research on all aspects of laser development. Please feel free to look around this website to find out more about the current state of the project.