Our team combines laser and metrology development with engineering to develop new instruments for future health monitoring with field-resolved infrared spectroscopy.
As the future laser platform we develop ultrafast Cr:ZnS oscillators, which are directly pumped by low-noise laser diodes. Aleksandar and Arun have just completed a first engineered laser prototype, which produces few-cycle pulses at 2.4 µm with a new level of power stability. Together with Matthias, our mechanical engineer, they are working already on the next generation laser prototype, which will form the basis for the new metrology system. Meanwhile, Maciej stabilizes the carrier envelope phase of these lasers to record-low levels. In order to boost the output power further, Shizhen develops Cr:ZnS amplifiers with low-noise diode-pumping technology. Yudong assists with laser characterization. We will use these unique sources for multi-octave-spanning mid-infrared generation, and record the infrared response of human blood samples with field-resolved detection.
Simultaneously, we already push the field-resolved infrared measurement technology using systems based on high-power Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers. Christina currently coordinates the upgrade of such a system to kHz-rate optical scanning using two synchronized laser oscillators. Sebastian uses nonlinear compression to achieve broader bandwidth in the infrared pulses and extract more information out of the biological samples. Abhijit, Wolfgang and Dionysios work on the detection with ultra-rapid electro-optic sampling. Hojjat from the ACCORD team supports us with the development of new detector electronics. Our computer scientist, Patrik, develops algorithms for high-speed delay calibration of the dual-oscillator scan with attosecond precision. In March 2022 the system will move to the CMF national laboratory in Hungary, where it will be used to analyze blood samples and identify disease-specific infrared fingerprints.
Picture: From left to right: Aleksandar Sebesta, Maciej Kowalczyk, Yudong Sun, Shizhen Qu, Wolfgang Schweinberger, Christina Hofer, Sebastian Gröbmeyer, Matthias Stadter, Abhijit Maity, Dionysios Potamianos, Alexander Weigel (group leader), Hojjat Heydarian. Not on the picture: Patrik Karandušovský