High power ultrafast lasers for the European XFEL
Speaker: Dr Max Lederer, The European XFEL Project
Date: 12 August 2011
Time: 11:00 -12 noon
Venue: Building 53, room 4025
Abstract:
The European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) will enter its operation phase in 2015. For a variety of experiments such as pump-probe and molecular alignment high energy (mJ) short pulse (sub-20fs ... ns) optical lasers, synchronised to the femtosecond X-ray pulses, will be required. At up to 27000 pulses per second, the European XFEL will have unprecedented brilliance. However, emission will be in 10Hz bursts of high rep-rate X-ray flashes, a pattern which will need to be matched by the optical lasers. I will give a review of the laser development and implementation plans at the European XFEL with particular emphasis on the burst-mode pump-probe laser.
Biography:
Dr Max Lederer studied Electrical Engineering in Regensburg, Germany and Sydney, Australia. He subsequently obtained a PhD in Physics at The Laser Physics Centre, ANU, Canberra, Australia. Some relevant research work included pioneering developments on the use of ion-implantation in the fabrication of high quality semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) for passive mode-locking, as well as the discovery and explanation of multiple-soliton dynamics in a SESAM mode-locked Ti:sapphire soliton-laser. During his 10 year period in Australia he held positions in private industry (laser and electronics development, EOS Pty. Ltd.) and academia (Research Fellow, Laser Physics Centre, ANU). He joined High Q Laser GmbH, Austria in 2002 where, for eight years, he was responsible for product development of fs- and ps-lasers for industrial, scientific and ophthalmological applications, resulting in high volume OEM contracts. From 2006 to 2010 he was head of R&D at High Q Laser. In November 2010, Dr Lederer joined the European XFEL Project, Hamburg as head of the optical laser group and Leading Scientist for the development of high power ultrafast lasers for the project.