High Power IR/UV Laser for Accelerator Systems

Electron accelerators allow researchers to advance energy and luminosity frontiers and expand our knowledge of nuclear physics and basic materials science. To achieve the best performance, specialized lasers are used to produce electrons for these accelerators. The lasers not only must be precise and reliable but also much more powerful than those that are currently available. This project will develop a powerful and reliable laser that is ideally suited for use in electron sources for accelerators. The laser will use novel seed-source and fiber-amplifier technology that is better suited to meeting the specific requirements of electron sources than previously available techniques. During Phase I, the seed source will be built and the feasibility of the proposed approach will be demonstrated. During Phase II, a complete fiber laser system will be built and delivered for testing at a DOE facility. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to enabling electron accelerators to be more productive, powerful lasers with similar characteristics should find use in semiconductor processing, where they can improve the performance and reduce the costs of flat-panel display screens, and improve the yield of semiconductor chips. The lasers also should find use in critical marking, cutting, and micromachining applications.