Narrow-linewidth lasers are increasingly sought after for their remarkable low frequency noise and high temporal coherence, making them indispensable in advanced applications such as high-resolution spectroscopy, long-range fiber sensing, and coherent light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Their ability to deliver precise, stable outputs has propelled their adoption across industries requiring fine optical control. However, as these lasers become more prevalent, accurately characterizing their performance has grown more critical—and more complex.…
Discover how ultrafast lasers and terahertz (THz) technology are transforming industries with insights from Michel Begin, an expert in advanced photonics solutions. Learn about THz generation, femtosecond fiber lasers, and the exciting future of this groundbreaking technology. Michel, what makes THz radiation special compared to other spectral bands of the electromagnetic spectrum? THz waves have unique properties that set them apart. They can penetrate various non-conductive materials such as plastics, fabrics,…
Laser ablation occurs when high intensity, ultrashort pulses of light interact with matter. A well-known method used for solar cell manufacturing. There are two main types of solar cells, crystalline silicon, and thin films. Both require precise cutting into small pieces. The use of femtosecond lasers in the manufacturing of solar cells has become increasingly popular due to their ability to create precise and clean cuts with minimal damage. This…
Introduction Linearly polarized fiber lasers are required in many applications such as sensing, nonlinear frequency conversion, and for coherent or polarization beam combining. To obtain linearly polarized fiber lasers, a polarizer can be used at the output or inside the fiber laser cavity to select a single polarization. But this technique presents several disadvantages such as increased cost, higher insertion losses, power limitations, and reliability issues. A much more effective…
Introduction Short-pulse lasers are used in countless applications, including in material processing, refractive surgery, multi-photon imaging, semiconductor inspection, and a host of scientific uses. For laser manufacturers, this great diversity encourages the development of flexible technology platforms that must be configured according to the needs of end users. Managing this flexibility and these various configurations is often a challenge; in fact, several factors can complicate achieving the target performance in…
Fiber laser metal cutting machines with fiber-based beam delivery must have a delivery fiber long enough to access all targeted locations on the workpiece. Learn more about the benefits of Raman Scattering Suppressor (RSS) to enable longer fibers in high throughput multi-kW cutting systems. Stimulated Raman Scattering: A Major Challenge for Industrial Fiber Laser Designers With the growing trend of increasing throughput in fiber laser cutting machines, laser design challenges…
Chirped-Pulse Amplification (CPA), based on ultrafast lasers (Figure 1), are in-demand versatile processing tools. They often operate in extreme physical conditions: several hundred Watts to Kilowatts of average power in MHz-GHz repetition rate regime, combined with pulse duration often below a picosecond, give rise to intense pulse in MW to GW peak power. Ultra-Short Pulse (USP) lasers are becoming a vital backbone in diverse applications. Whether it is for micro-machining…
