Commentary

Top Photonics News: Ultrafast lasers are winners--December 6, 2013

Dec. 6, 2013

Materials processing is one good reason that ultra-short pulse lasers (aka, ultrafast lasers) are winning awards such as the German Future Prize.

Conard Holton

Materials processing is one good reason that ultra-short pulse lasers (aka, ultrafast lasers) are winning awards such as the German Future Prize. They are being integrated into many industrial manufacturing processes and will find many more applications in the future.

For the basics on ultrafast lasers, LFW contributing editor Jeff Hecht has a gift for clarity:

ULTRAFAST LASER PROCESSING: Ultrafast lasers make ultraprecise tools

To learn about the different ultrafast lasers that are available and how the manufacturing world is using them, read this informative article by Ron Schaeffer at Photomachining:

USP lasers: A hot topic in laser manufacturing

For an in-depth explanation of how ultrafast lasers are used to improve fuel efficiency in automobile fuel injectors, here's an article by Michael Mielke at Raydiance:

INDUSTRIAL LASERS: The hole story: Femtosecond manufacturing improves automobile fuel efficiency

The work by winners of the German Future Prize is described in this article, which also includes a great video from Robert Bosch on ultra-short pulse lasers used on automobile fuel injectors:

Ultrafast laser team wins German Future Prize

And this year's prestigious Schawlow Award was given for—you guessed it—work on ultrafast lasers:

Ultrafast laser researcher Ursula Keller wins 2013 LIA Schawlow Award

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.