Objective
In recent years the application of laser systems to different fields, from medicine to the environment as well as from industry to research, have been fast growing up.
In Europe the lack of optical components with high performance coatings in term of low scattering and absorption of light, high thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties, slows down the development of advanced laser sources and systems.
Several European research centers and Universities are operative on this subject and different aspects of optical thin film technology have been investigated with promising results but, to become more competitive in respect of American and Japanese components and system production, a stronger cooperation was considered of basic importance and in fact it was supported by the European Community, with the main objective of training a new generation of scientists in this important and emerging field. The main purpose of the supported project, which title is "High Quality Thin Film for Laser Applications", is to join the efforts of different European teams for investigating mechanisms and parameters in the coating fabrication that determine the failure of presently available thin films and then selecting materials and optimum conditions of the film deposition process for each specific laser application.
Even though the partners of the network have a long experience in the field of laser optics and are well equipped for the specific work, some technologies and measurement methods are necessarily missed.
The possibility of integrating the network with other laboratories involved in the field will also give the chance for a wider approach to the coating for lasers also by enabling more surface characterization techniques (RBS, XPS, TEM,...) and by getting in touch with different traditions. It will lead to the set up of a very powerful tool for the development of laser optics in Europe.
At the same time it will be a good opportunity for the scientists of the proposed laboratories of joining a just started network that, therefore, is very flexible for integrating new original contributes.
The proposed partners for the project extension are already in scientific contact with the laboratories of the network and are well known in the optical coating world.
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
00060 Santa Maria di Galeria Roma
Italy