Laser development for modern applications

Lasers are now massively used in industry and research. In manufacturing processes they allow for marking, cutting, scribing, soldering and structuring of many different materials for applications ranging from ship building to structuring of smart phone touch screen. In communication lasers make possible to transfer the enormous quantity of information transiting today in fiber optics networks or in data centers. Distance measurements, medical diagnostics and treatment, optical spectroscopy and atomic clocks are also relying on lasers and would never achieve the current level of performances without these exquisite sources of light that are lasers.

In this context, CSEM offers a unique set of competencies in laser technology and optical systems. CSEM is in a position to address developments based on laser technologies like semiconductor, fiber and solid-state for continuous-wave to femtosecond laser systems. Expertise in simulation and design of such sources and at the system level (optics, mechanics and electronics) are available. Development of such hardware is at the core of CSEM expertise that also offers state-of-the-art optics laboratories and test equipment. As expert in laser metrology, CSEM is also able to stabilize the critical parameters of such laser systems (like optical frequency, pulse repetition rate and optical power) with high-performance electronics.

As an example CSEM recently completed a Eurostars project (Hicola project) together with the Irish company Eblana Photonics, where narrow-linewidth, cheap and purely modulated lasers have been developed. This project has been selected as a success story by Eurostars. Another example, illustrating our long commitment to partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), is the development and characterization of pulsed laser systems for telecommunication satellites where microwave signals showing timing jitter in the fs range have been generated and characterized.