Integrated Optics is proud to tell that the company
has created a compact low jitter ultrafast pulse laser prototype which is based
on proprietary patented active mode locking technique. A laser with the code
name "BlackBox" is the outcome of European Cohesion Fund supported project "The
Development of a Low Jitter Ultrafast Pulse Laser" which has been implemented
together with the partner Kaunas University of Technology and has ended in
August, this year. The project has been supported by the measure "Intellect LT" the goal of which is to encourage national
SMEs' investment into development of new innovative products, services and
processes – a necessary precondition for applied research and technological
development. This unique development took more than two years and required
more than 180 thousand euros investment of which Integrated Optics
contributed approximately 45 percent.
In practice, there is a common problem with pulsed
lasers in imaging and precision measurement applications - the temporal drift
of laser pulses after initiation, the so called jitter. The longer is this
drift, the greater is the chance of inaccuracy in the measurement schemes.
Therefore, that was one of the reasons of implementing the project for
developing a compact, affordable low jitter ultrafast pulse laser prototype. Low
jitter is very important in such laser applications as range finding, high precision
material processing or ultrasound materials research. The EU Cohesion Fund
support allowed us to implement R&D activities in a wider scope and that
helped create a laser prototype exceeding planned specifications. This project
brings to life the patented principle of active mode locking and cavity
dumping. This is another successful example of commercialization of
intellectual property.
The developed laser can be used in many high precision materials processing applications which are still dominated by hard metal alloy or diamond head tools that require expensive materials and energy costs and their service causes costly downtimes. Whereas "BlackBox" laser has no replaceable parts and can handle up to 40 thousand hours without service. Taking that into account, this compact, affordable low jitter ultrafast pulse laser can be reasonably regarded as an excellent alternative to high precision materials processing traditional tools. Therefore, the commercialization of such product significantly increases company's competitiveness. All major research activities are finished and now Integrated Optics will start preparation for production. The first units of this laser are expected to be shipped to early adopters in the end of 2016.
