Project description
Compact lasers on par with synchrotron facilities
Femtosecond lasers show promise for a variety of applications in many fast-growing industries with their unique ability to deliver high peak power. However, their radiation spectrum is limited, hindering practical implementation. Furthermore, access to large-scale research facilities such as synchrotrons (which also emit high-power coherent light) is limited mostly by distance and costs. The EU-funded SALT project is working on making high-power radiation sources widely available via a compact high-performance laser system that is comparable to synchrotrons. Researchers will focus the laser pulses on a non-linear medium to generate coherent laser pulses in the desired range – infrared, terahertz and soft X-ray frequencies.
Objective
Lasers, and in particular ultrafast lasers, are an enabling technology for many applications, with the particularity that they can emit high-powers and are tabletop at the same time. These characteristics have made intense laser radiation widely available, which has decisively contributed to the advancement of many fields. However, the spectral coverage of lasers is limited and, thus, there are many applications that can only be addressed with other sources such as synchrotrons. Unfortunately, synchrotrons have two strong disadvantages: they are very large facilities with restricted user access and are extremely expensive. This is seriously hampering the widespread use of this radiation and, with it, the progress and development of many fields. Since a direct (i.e. a laser-based), high-power emission of coherent light with a wavelength coverage comparable to that of a synchrotron is impossible, nonlinear frequency conversion driven by a high-power solid-state laser seems to be the most elegant solution to achieve a high photon flux in important spectral regions such as the mid-infrared, the THz- and the soft-X-ray range. Most remarkably, frequency conversion into these spectral regions would strongly benefit from a longer driving laser wavelength than the standard Titanium:Sapphire or Ytterbium-based near-infrared emission. On top of that, the shift of the emission to longer wavelengths can unleash a hidden performance scaling potential of ultrafast fiber lasers, as nonlinear and thermal limitations scale favorably. The goals of the project SALT are twofold. First, it targets a revolution in the performance level of ultrafast lasers by unlocking the potential of Thulium-doped fiber lasers. Second, it aims at demonstrating new realms of flux in selected wavelength regions by frequency-converting these high-power 2µm sources. This will pave the way for frontier applications allowing for seminal discoveries and breakthroughs.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- social sciences political sciences political transitions revolutions
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics ultrafast lasers
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
- high repetition rate femtosecond lasers
- Power scaling of laser sources
- ultrafast fiber lasers
- advanced large-mode area fibers
- nonlinear effects in fibers
- thermal issues in solid state lasers
- long-wavelength lasers
- 2µm ultrafast lasers
- frequency conversion
- Nonlinear pulse compression
- Few-cycle lasers
- high harmonic generation
- generation of coherent EUV to soft-Xray radiation
- THz generation
- parametric downconversion towards the mid-infrared
- Mid-infrared laser sources
- Laser for me
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
07743 JENA
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.