Executive Forum

2022 Innovators Awards: Meet the winners

Aug. 18, 2022

Record number of entries yields astonishing class of honorees for LFW's 2022 Innovators Awards.

Platinum: Edmund Optics & UltraFast Innovations

Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Attosecond Multilayer Mirrors are used for steering, focusing, and shaping attosecond EUV laser pulses. Designed and produced in atomically-smooth coating layers, these mirrors allow for precision control of wavelength and spectral phase with high efficiency in a growing application space. Attosecond science pushes the limits of ultrafast lasers. The attosecond mirrors provided by UltraFast Innovations and Edmund Optics are ideal for attosecond pulse generation and shaping based on high harmonic generation (HHG), free electron lasers (FELs), or other quantum optical applications. Close collaboration with numerous scientists involved in attosecond research, advanced simulation and optimization of coating parameters, and ion beam sputtering allow UltraFast Innovations to develop industry-leading-atomically-smooth multilayer attosecond coatings with 10-1,000 coating layers. The EUV Attosecond Multilayer Mirrors are tailored for 330 attosecond pulses centered at a wavelength 19 nm (65 eV) with a 1.8 nm bandwidth. They provide a peak reflectivity of 38%, which is industry-leading for use with EUV attosecond lasers.

Slide 6 of 43

In all my years covering technology, it has always been the thirst for innovation that has driven my desire to learn more about how various technologies work—and how they provide new value. This year as we embarked on the annual Laser Focus World Innovators Awards process, it was encouraging to see so many companies submit entries. So many amazing innovations across a growing and ever-evolving space.

In selecting honorees, we employed a blind judging process where multiple judges evaluated each submission without knowing how the other judge scored the entry. This approached allowed us to even out any potential biases by created average scores for each innovation. Even with the diversity amongst the judges, it was surprising to see how many scores were consistent across the board.

Be sure to run through the slide show and see all the winners. It was a lot of fun going through the process.

About the Author

Peter Fretty | Market Leader/Group Editorial Director, Laser & Military

Peter Fretty began his role as the Market Leader, Laser & Military in June 2023; the group encompasses the Laser Focus World, Military & Aerospace Electronics, and Vision Systems Design brands. He also serves as Group Editorial Director, Laser & Military (effective spring 2023) and served as Editor in Chief of Laser Focus World since October 2021. Prior to that, he was Technology Editor for IndustryWeek for two years.

As a highly experienced journalist, he has regularly covered advances in manufacturing, information technology, and software. He has written thousands of feature articles, cover stories, and white papers for an assortment of trade journals, business publications, and consumer magazines.