Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge / University of Stuttgart
Project coordinator
The main activities at the Institut fuer Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) are currently concerned with selected topics in the fields of laser beam sources (especially the thin-disk laser), optical elements and components for beam delivery and beam shaping as well as fundamental investigations on the light-matter interaction with the subsequent process development of macro and micro applications for industrial manufacturing. A significant core research area at the IFSW is devoted to fundamental investigations on diode-pumped solid-state lasers (mainly thin-disk lasers and fibre lasers) and semi-conductor lasers. Current efforts concentrate on the reliable generation of radiation with high beam quality and the power scalability of lasers in all modes of operation (cw, q-switched, mode locked). Within the core research area on laser-based Process Development the knowledge on fundamentals gained in the continuous research on the interaction between laser beams and matter is exploited for the development of novel laserbased manufacturing. Dr. Marwan Abdou Ahmed will coordinate the project and will lead the IFSW input to “Ti:Sa TD”.
Dr. Marwan Abdou Ahmed received his “Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies” in 1999 and his PhD degree in 2003 at the University of Saint-Etienne, France. In 2004, he joined the USTUTT, working mainly on the development of polarization and wavelength selective grating-waveguide optics for high-power solidstate lasers and on specialty fibres for high-power beam delivery. Since June 2011, he is responsible for the “laser development and laser optics” department at the USTUTT. M. Abdou Ahmed received his Habilitation degree for the University Paris-Sud XI in May 2012.
THALES
For more than 30 years, the laser activity of Thales has been a world leader in the conception, development and manufacturing of solid-state nanosecond and femtosecond laser technology by providing standard and customized, turnkey, easy to use and reliable systems. The quality and stability of its products meet the needs of both industrial, scientific, space and defence applications. The large range of standard nanosecond pulsed lasers are based on diode pumped and flashlamp pumped technology. Most of them have been specially developed to offer maximum efficiency in Ti:sapphire amplifier pumping. The laser activity of the Group is also internationally recognized in the field of customized high-energy ultra-short laser pulses and proposes a complete range of customized femtosecond systems, based on a modular design using standard bricks for easier maintenance and upgradeability.
The laser activity of Thales in France is based in Elancourt and benefits from 30,000 m² available for the development, the manufacturing and the test of state-of-the-art equipment which associate optics, mechanics and electronics. The facility is the largest in its speciality in Europe, it includes more than 4,000 m² of clean rooms, a sight testing tower and large laser workshops. More than of 1,400 people work on the site.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 64,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of € 14.9 billion in 2016. With over 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.
Christophe Simon-Boisson, product line manager of scientific and industrial lasers product line within Thales; received a master degree in optical engineering from Institut d’Optique Graduate School in 1987. After one year in the Institut d’Optique as research assistant (Ultrafast Laser group), he joined B.M. Industries, as R&D engineer from 1988 to 1996. His domains of interests have been 2 µm lasers, Optical Parametric Oscillators, high average power flashlamp-pumped and diode-pumped lasers. From 1996 to 2001, he has been R&D manager of the company for civil lasers. From 2001 to 2009: several management positions in the laser business within Thales, industrial director (2001 to 2005), deputy director of operations (2005 to 2007) and then company deputy director and technical director (2008 to 2009). Since early 2010, member of the technical directorate and from 2011 to March 2017 design authority of lasers product line.
Element six Ltd.
Element Six is an independently managed synthetic diamond supermaterials company. Element Six is part of the De Beers Family of Companies and is co-owned by Umicore, the Belgian materials group. Element Six is a global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond supermaterials, and operates worldwide with its head office registered in Luxembourg, and primary manufacturing facilities in China, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, South Africa, UK and the US. The Technologies business utilises the extreme properties of synthetic diamond beyond hardness, through manufacturing very pure synthetic diamond using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) techniques. These properties are opening up potential applications in a wide array of industries such as optics, power transmission, water treatment, semi-conductors and sensors. Having over 15 years of experience in the use of diamond in optical applications, element six is experienced in the development and production of both polycrystalline and single crystal diamond optical components. These products are used in a wide variety of optical applications, such as lasers (Gas, solid state and semiconductor), spectroscopy equipment for laboratory and on-line usage. As these markets are moving towards more extreme conditions, higher laser powers, harsher environments, the need for diamond becomes evident.
Dr. Andrew Bennett gained his masters degree in chemistry and a PhD in the surface chemistry of diamond from the University of Oxford. He has managed the optical research programme at element 6 since 2011, with 7 years of experience in the synthesis of diamond products across a range of applications, including experience in both polycrystalline and single crystal products. He joined Element Six from Matox technologies, a company investing in the commercialisation of early stage materials IP, where he worked as a project manager and performed technical due diligence on possible investments.
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
CNRS-FEMTO (Optics, Photonics, Telecommunications) group covers a broad range of activities in optics and photonics: nonlinear propagation of ultrashort pulses, supercontinuum, femtosecond laser machining, chaos, quantum cryptography, nonlinear microresonators. Participants in this project are internationally recognized in the field of ultrafast nondiffracting and accelerating beams and their applications to high-aspect ratio laser processing. A significant core research in the team is devoted to the study of femtosecond laser filamentation in dielectrics and its impact on femtosecond laser machining. Although the application of nonlinear propagation experience to laser processing is a relatively recent research theme in the group (2008), CNRS has obtained high-impact results on research of direct relevance to this proposal. The group has achieved a breakthrough in terms of laser machining with high aspect ratio by generating through nanochannels in glass with aspect ratio up to 100:1 with a single laser shot. Recent research results on accelerating beams also allowed for the first time direct edge laser processing of curved profiles in materials. The originality and novelty of this approach has generated 11 invited talks in major international conferences on laser ablation and laser processing in the last 3 years and was distinguished by 2 Nature Photonics research highlights.
Francois Courvoisier completed his Master’s degree in fundamental physics at Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan and University of Orsay, France. He received his PhD degree from University Lyon 1, France on the topics of filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses and ultrafast spectroscopy. In 2005-2006 he carried out postdoctoral research in the Group of Applied Physics-biophotonics, Geneva, Switzerland. In 2006 he joined the CNRS in FEMTO-ST institute, France as permanent researcher and he has developed an independent novel research concerning femtosecond laser micro/nano-machining and nondiffracting beams. He is project coordinator for ANR NANOFLAM project involving 3 French laboratories. He is recipient of the French bonus for Excellence in Scientific Research and was awarded in 2010 the “Gold micron” at MICRONORA micro/nano technologies industrial European tradeshow held in Besancon. He has given 15 invited talks and short courses, published 27 papers in refereed journals and holds 2 patents.
Oxford Lasers Ltd.
Oxford Lasers is a UK SME laser systems integrator. The company designs and manufactures custom turn-key laser micromachining systems for advanced manufacturing and R&D activities including ultrafast laser systems since 2006. It also provides high-quality subcontract laser micromachining services, laser applications consultancy as well as design and manufacture of high-speed laser imaging systems for particle/droplet sizing, velocity measurement and spray characterisation. We are an Oxford University spinout (est. 1977) and active in microelectronics, flexible electronics, semiconductor, automotive, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing markets. Our customer base includes primarily academic and industrial research and technology development (RTD) organisations. Oxford Lasers has installed and supports more than 350 lasers and laser systems worldwide from its two bases in Didcot, UK and Boston, US. The Industrial Division that will participate in this project, leverages a highly skilled workforce (9 PhDs and 8 postgraduate engineers) that specialise in laser micro/nanoprocessing technology and in-house advanced laser system facilities to promote innovation and grow its laser micromachining portfolio and sales in newly emerging markets. Oxford Lasers has participated in numerous EU and national collaborative research projects. It is currently leading OLAE+DigiPRINT and participates in FP7-NMP-SMARTONICS and FP7-IAPP-LaserMicroFab.
Dr. Andrew Kearsley received his Ph.D. degree in Laser Physics in 1980 at Oxford University. He did then 6 years of Post Doc research on excimer lasers between 1978 and 1984 and cofounded Oxford Lasers in 1977. From 1984 to present day he is R&D Director and variously Managing Director or Deputy Chairman of Oxford Lasers. He is an expert in excimer lasers, copper lasers, laser micromachining, laser imaging and general laser applications. He is present in various government and EC committees including Defence Scientific Advisory Committee and is industrial advisor to Imperial College, London and Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
M-SQUARED LASERS Ltd.
M Squared Lasers designs and manufactures next generation, advanced photonic instruments. M Squared’s core team has between them >100 years’ experience in: project and business management (at both start-ups and large corporations); award winning electronics and lasers; commercializing novel photonic instruments for both scientific and 24/7 industrial use. Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, M Squared has global reach and provides local sales and service support via representatives in Europe, the USA and Asia. M Squared Lasers’ technology and capabilities include: OEM laser sources; Custom solutions for demanding new photonics applications; instrumentation subsystems; customisable low noise electronics. M Squared’s expertise covers a diverse range of applications with particular emphasis on: Scientific research and development; biophotonics; advanced imaging / display; Laser spectroscopy; Atomic cooling and manipulation; Ultrafast laser applications; Multiphoton Imaging (MPI) and microscopy; Semiconductor inspection and metrology and Optical data storage. M Squared has considerable experience in the development of quantum dot based photonic solutions and is linked in with the relevant network of suppliers, collaborators and key customers.
Dr. Graeme Malcolm (CEO) attained a first class honours B.Sc. degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics at Strathclyde University in 1989. In 1992, he completed Ph.D. research into compact solid-state laser sources. Graeme then co-founded Microlase Optical Systems, Glasgow, as Joint Managing Director. After successfully growing Microlase, Graeme led the strategic alliance that resulted in its acquisition in 1999 by Coherent, Inc (one of the world’s largest laser companies). After successfully managing Microlase’s transition to become Coherent Scotland, Graeme left to cofound M Squared Lasers.
KITE Innovation (Europe) Limited
KITE Innovation was established in 2006 to help bridge the gap between the academic and business sectors in supporting collaboration, enterprise, and knowledge-based business development. KITE provides hands-on practical support to all types of initiative in this business space. As an intermediary operating in the market space between business and academia, KITE interact with many R&D based businesses as well Universities and Research Institutes. KITE can manage a wide variety of research & innovation projects on behalf of companies, academics and business support organisations. In particular expertise in the management of FP7 projects is offered to organisations that are coordinating projects. FP7 Project Management Support services cover all the management and reporting requirements of the Commission allowing the coordinator to focus on leading the scientific and research aspects of the project. All project managers possess scientific research backgrounds, and are trained in project management as well as FP7 requirements, ensuring that they can provide informed support in a wide variety of FP7 projects.
Derek McKenzie BSc (Hons), MBA, MinstKT is an electronics engineer by first discipline with over 15 years experience in economic development. After graduating in 1985, Derek joined Plessey Naval Systems in the design and engineering function, where he was involved in the development of electronics and software for command and control systems. He became a Senior Engineer at Plessey, before joining BBN Communications in Scotland, where he was responsible for the pilot introduction of product new to the European market.BBN manufactured data communications equipment used mainly by financial organisations to link their world-wide operations. In 1991, Derek joined Strategem in the company's office in Scotland working with Business Support bodies on projects for small-to-medium sized companies. In 1995 Derek moved to the company's Manchester office to lead the development of best practice programmes in product development and strategy implementation. In 1998 he was appointed, a Director and Team Leader of one of the company's four consultancy teams, focusing on business improvement, best practice and internationalisation. In 2001, Derek added to his responsibilities when he became Director of the company's operation in Wales before becoming Commercial Director in 2005. In 2006, Derek left to establish KITE Innovation with a focus upon innovation consultancy services, directed at University commercialisation & knowledge transfer and stimulation of innovation within small-medium sized companies.
Visit Partner website