Ultrafast lasers today

Abstract

Ultrafast lasers have seen a tremendous increase in average power over the past ten years, with industrial lasers now reaching the kW level. We are at a turning point in femtosecond technology, which will enable new fields of use and new methods of production. High laser power and the associated beam engineering enable significant improvements in industrial productivity and open access to large new markets, such as aeronautics, energy, and mobility.

Thin disks with a wedge

“…The availability of larger and more powerful pulsed laser systems has enabled ever more high-throughput material processing methods [1,2,3]. Industrial high-power laser systems allow these new methods to be introduced into the manufacturing of new parts [4]. Picosecond (ps) laser sources in particular are currently lacking in availability and affordability.…”

“…One possibility is the combination of a mirror surface with an angle dependent reflector. A long-pass filter typically has the appropriate angular transmission and reflectivity [4].…”

High efficiency GHz laser processing with long bursts

“…A possible approach is to increase the average power of the laser to achieve a higher ablation rate in mm 3 min −1 . This approach is actively pursued worldwide, both in terms of laser development [2] and processing technology [3].…”