Planar Waveguide & Slab Lasers

The Planar Waveguide and Slab Lasers group is led by Dr Jacob Mackenzie and investigates the advantages of the planar geometry for novel laser sources.

Current work capitalises on the excellent thermal management properties that the planar waveguide/slab geometry offers and compatibility with high-power diode-laser pump sources. Coupled with crystalline gain media exciting opportunities are possible for realising laser sources not achievable via standard routes, thus enabling difficult or weak laser transitions.

While constantly emerging applications continue to be a foundation for new developments, our current emphasis is placed on increasing the range of accessible wavelengths and demonstrating power-scalable solutions in both pulsed and CW regimes.

Group webpage

Planar Waveguide & Slab Lasers Projects:

High-power integrated-photonic composites

Supervisor: Dr Jacob Mackenzie

One of the critical challenges in today’s and future high-power photonic and electronic systems, optical components, lasers, and high-density integrated circuits is efficient extraction of internal waste heat. In many cases in new engineering projects thermal management has become increasingly vital, now implemented at the frontend system design rather than as an afterthought. It is a similar scenario for high-power photonics.

To address future engineering challenges one would like to have composite structures that combine media with very different yet complementary properties, so that an advantage can be gained over single-component materials.

The project will investigate new approaches based on ultra-precision engineering techniques, novel bonding methods, state-of-the-art deposition processes, and super materials, such as SiC and diamond, to augment optically active materials while extending the potential range of composite materials that can be employed, simultaneously enhancing the thermal and photonic functionality to enable next generation high power density photonic applications.

Waveguide power-amplifiers for CO2
measurement from space

Supervisor: Dr Jacob MacKenzie

With concern growing over the effects of excess CO2 in our atmosphere on climate dynamics, new and varied techniques are required to determine its concentration, distribution and the complete carbon cycle during all times of the night and day throughout the year.

In this project we will develop waveguide power amplifiers to increase the power levels of pre-amplified pulsed-narrow-linewidth diode-lasers in the 1.6micron regime, which can be wavelength swept through absorption peaks of atmospheric CO2 and thus used as the source for DIAL or LIDAR measurements from space.

Through a contract with Goddard Space Flight Centre we have embarked on investigation of suitable amplifiers required for missions like the NASA – ASCENDS programme, which will replace passive observation satellites with active (LIDAR) remote sensing as the next logical next step in a global carbon cycle observing strategy.

Important fundamental limits in the form of non-linear effects, have thus far frustrated development of the required high-energy systems in an all-fibre architecture, consequently new avenues need to be explored that can capitalise on the additional degree of freedom offered by the planar waveguide geometry.

Planar Waveguide Visible Lasers

Supervisor: Dr Jacob MacKenzie

Lasers have become ubiquitous in our daily lives, underpinning much of our technology dependent society. Since the inception of the laser numerous configurations have evolved, the majority are based on rare-earth (RE)-ions generating near-IR wavelengths. However, many applications exist, such as display technologies, diagnostic tools at the life-science interface, or exploiting the transmission window of seawater for sub maritime sensing and communications, which require visible light.

Our vision is to simplify the solid-state visible laser to just a single oscillator, while simultaneously broadening its capabilities by exploiting the rich spectroscopic properties of higher-lying RE ions excited-states (such as those of Thulium and Erbium), for generating new colours. This project will investigate lasers based on the planar-waveguide architecture and highly-excited RE-ion transitions.

Drawing upon our pioneering research and expertise in the planar-waveguide laser field, combined with recent and critical technological advancements; namely ultra-low-loss rare-earth doped crystalline waveguides and narrow line-width high-power diode pumps, this work will form the foundation of a new laser platform producing efficient high-power visible sources for real world applications.

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