The technology platforms developed within WhiteLase-2020, not only demonstrate leading-edge performance for optical illumination sources, but they demonstrate cost reductions over existing state of the art, presenting an opportunity for reduced cost of ownership that will benefit end-users and consumers / patients in the wider society.
The project has delivered, for the first time, a white light illuminator that can operate for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without the need for maintenance or replacement.
Compared to incumbent, state-of art lamp illuminators, the WhiteLase-2020 technology delivers in excess of 1 million times the optical brightness and up to 20X the useful operational lifetimes, meaning that a single WhiteLase-2020 source can avoid the manufacture, installation, replacement and recycling of more than 20 high power lamps during its operational lifetime.
In applications requiring laser-beam illumination, the WhiteLase-2020 technology, having spectrum spanning from the blue to the Mid Infra-Red can provide an end user with any selected optical wavelength, providing an integrator with the highest of flexibility. Moreover, with use of an appropriate filter, the developed technology can produce up to 16 different laser wavelengths simultaneously, replacing up to 16 individual laser sources, their associated manufacturing, packaging, shipping and recycling costs - benefiting both end customers and the global environment.
The anticipated economic growth that can be achieved following successful exploitation of the project results, will result in further significant high-skilled job creation within the European Community.
NKT Photonics, having offices in Denmark (Head Office), the UK (Fianium), Germany (LIOS Technology) and in Switzerland (OneFive Lasers who were acquired in September 2017) has unparalleled capabilities in supercontinuum-ultrafast fiber laser technology and present a core-hub of expertise within Europe on which to build growth of WhiteLase-2020 technology.