ORC researchers to lead 3 million euro European project to develop next-generation laser technology

Researchers from the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) will lead a major new European research project after securing €3 million in funding through the highly competitive European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Open programme. The FAST (Functionalised Activated Sapphire Thin-disk) project is one of just 44 projects selected across Europe and one of only two UK coordinated projects to receive funding through the scheme.

Led by Dr Jacob Mackenzie of the ORC, the FAST project aims to transform laser performance through the development of activated sapphire thin-disk technology, a breakthrough material platform that could underpin the next generation of high-power laser systems.

The project brings together leading academic and industrial partners from across Europe, including Professor Harold Chong from the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), the University of Stuttgart (Germany), Charles University (Czech Republic), and industry partners Optoman (Lithuania) and Amplitude (France).

The FAST consortium will develop sapphire-based thin-disk laser materials designed to deliver higher power, improved efficiency and enhanced reliability. Researchers believe the technology could unlock new possibilities in areas such as space science, advanced scientific instrumentation and high-value manufacturing.  

Dr Jacob Mackenzie, Principal Investigator and project coordinator, said:

""We are delighted that FAST has been selected by the European Innovation Council through such a highly competitive process. This project brings together world-leading expertise in laser materials, device engineering and industrial laser development to create a new class of laser gain medium based on activated sapphire.""

""The potential impact is far-reaching. By developing what we believe could become a 'super material' for laser systems, FAST will aim for a ten-fold improvement in thin-disk laser performance that would drive new applications across science and industry.""

The project will run for three years, bringing together expertise in materials science, photonics engineering and industrial laser development. By advancing next generation laser technology, the collaboration aims to strengthen Europe's position at the forefront of laser innovation and enable new scientific and industrial applications.