Scientists have developed a high power laser diode system that will be used in extreme photonics and applications centers

Leonardo has provided a new technology for "extreme photonics" research that will enable scientists and engineers to accelerate the development of research projects with potentially world-changing impacts. Future applications of the technology developed according to this research could revolutionize medical treatment, enable new forms of green energy, and improve imaging capabilities.

The newly installed technology, called the High Power Laser Diode System, will be used in the High energy laser amplifier system at the Extreme Photonics and Applications Center (EPAC), which is part of the STFC Central Laser Facility (CLF). It will be used to support world-class British scientific research. The system was developed by Leonardo's subsidiary, Leonardo Electronics US Inc. Under the direction of the non-governmental sector public body STFC.

Leonardo Electronics US is an expert in laser technology, particularly peaking power diode lasers, which are key components in the field of laser science and applications. The company is unique in being able to offer diode lasers with very peak power (up to over one million watts) in very compact packages. The systems installed at EPAC account for one-third of the volume provided by the CLF team.

The unique performance and compactness of the Leonardo system opens the door to a range of practical applications, such as advanced medical imaging and cancer treatment. Lasers can be used to create compact sources of useful beams, such as "very bright" X-rays, which can penetrate deeper than standard X-rays. These can greatly improve imaging capabilities in industrial and medical applications. In cancer treatment, such novel radiobiological sources will provide new therapies with greater mobility than conventional facilities.

The technology could also play a key role in making fusion reactions (inertial confinement fusion or ICF) commercially viable to produce green energy. This will build on the successful results recently demonstrated by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), to which CLF contributed. For the first time on this planet, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to get more energy out of fusion reactions than goes into them in a controlled environment. The hope is that such research could eventually lead to a way to generate nearly unlimited carbon-free energy.

Source: Laser Net