The research team of Peter the Great University of Technology in St. Petersburg, together with experts from Tampere University, has developed a new generation of ultra high speed and high power laser, which improves the processing quality of high-precision materials by five times. The research results were published in the first quartile journal Science Report. The new generation laser should become the breakthrough development pillar of the Russian Federation's production technology in the future.
The University of Technology has developed the world's first fiber, compact, high-performance laser with an optical power of more than 150 watts. It is at least three times more compact than its nearest competitor and allows for the trend of minimizing production space.
The laser developed by experts has raised the accuracy of material processing to a new level. Because the intensity of the light wave electric field is very large and will be concentrated in a short time, the ultrashort light pulse has an ultra strong effect, and can remove any or even the most refractory materials with a precision of micrometer. The fiber laser sends out an optical pulse with a power of more than 1 megawatt at a frequency of 10 MHz, that is, every millionth of a second, that is, an ultra strong optical pulse reaches the surface of the processed material.
In addition, the material does not rise in temperature, nor does it have laser cutting standard properties, such as melt and thermal damage area, and its material properties have changed. This opens up a wide range of applications for lasers in extremely sensitive materials, such as glass, ceramics, plastics and even biological materials.
At present, most high-power laser systems used in industry are based on solid state lasers. However, such a system is relatively expensive and cumbersome, and requires regular maintenance.
We managed to increase the productivity of high-precision laser technology by an order of magnitude, while avoiding the decline of material processing quality. Maxim ODNOBLYUDOV, the director of Laser and Plasma Technology in the laboratory of University of Science and Technology, commented that our development will enable us to use high-precision laser technology to manufacture large products, such as aerospace industry, automobile industry, mechanical engineering and instrument manufacturing.
According to experts, the laser performance provided by the world's leading manufacturers is more than five times lower than that developed by experts from University of Science and Technology. The results obtained open the door for the commercial application of new technology and the manufacture of a powerful all fiber picosecond laser system, which is used for industrial high-precision material processing. Many Finnish companies in the technology park of Tampere University have begun to be interested in laser technology, and these companies are specialized in laser equipment development.
Source: Peter the Great University of Technology, St. Petersburg
