Unveiling Developments in the 2µm Range at LAYERTEC

Join us as Dr. Stefan Schippel, Research Project Coordinator at LAYERTEC, sheds light on LAYERTEC’s future developments within the UKPino project. He is interviewed by Annekathrin Walther, our PR & Maketing Specialist, about the company and its role in the alliance.

Annekathrin: Hello Stefan, thanks for your time. Can you tell me who is LAYERTEC and what’s special about it?

Stefan: Hello Annekathrin, you’re welcome. LAYERTEC is a manufacturer of high-performance laser optics. We have been in the ultrafast laser industry for 25 years, with a strong focus on developing optics for various laser wavelengths, e.g. Titanium Sapphire Lasers, lasers in the 1 µm range, and now for 2 µm with its cutting-edge industrial applications. By the way, one of our first customers for ultrafast optics was Ferenc Krausz who was recently awarded with the Nobel Price 2023 in Physics.

Annekathrin: Could you tell me what are the company’s main products?

Stefan: Our primary products are optics designed for high-performance laser applications from the UV to the near infrared wavelength range. Our core focus is on 1 µm optics, but we also develop UV optics, with a significant emphasis on 355 nm and 193 nm, as well as components for ultrafast laser pulses.

Annekathrin: What technology and expertise does the company bring to the consortium?

Stefan: LAYERTEC possesses various coating technologies in-house, such as Magnetron sputtering, Ion Beam Sputtering and Ion-Assisted Deposition. For the highly complex optical components required at 2 µm, we are planning to qualify Magnetron sputtering as we know it offers low losses and highly efficient coating capabilities.

Annekathrin: The value chain of the project includes many industries. Where does the company fit in it?

Stefan: We operate as component manufacturer and supply optics to laser manufacturers, research institutes, universities and system integrators within the value chain.

Annekathrin: What does the company understand by the innovation platform of this project?

Stefan: Our interpretation of the innovation platform involves collaborating with all project partners to jointly develop and implement manufacturing concepts and solutions.

Annekathrin: Which goals do you want to achieve?

Stefan: Within this project, we aim to establish expertise in metrology at 2 µm, focusing on very accurate measurements of reflectance, group delay dispersion, laser-induced damage threshold and absorption losses. And of course, we are going to develop special optics in collaboration with project partners.

Annekathrin: What do you think will be the expected outcome of the project and which problems will be solved?

Stefan: The anticipated outcome of this project is the development of enhanced optics and metrology tools for ultrafast 2 µm lasers, which opens up new possibilities for processing materials and expanding the range of applications in various industries.

Annekathrin: Which industries benefit most from the 2 µm wavelength?

Stefan: The 2 µm-wavelength is essential in several industries. For example, it is used for medical procedures because of the strong absorption of organic materials in this wavelength range. In materials processing, 2 µm offer advantages over 1 µm for working with organic materials and silicon. Additionally the alliance involves applications for processing of smart textiles, glasses, ceramics and metals. Processes like joining, cutting, ablation, volume modification, and 3D printing will be under investigation.

Annekathrin: What are the specific technological challenges involved?

Stefan: Working with very thick coatings at 2 µm results in challenges related to absorption losses, process stability, coating stress and the need for new metrology tools. Water absorption also plays a significant role, as many applications require water-free coatings.

Annekathrin: Stefan, I have one last question for you. What do you think are the main benefits for the end user?

Stefan: The development of 2 µm wavelength technology benefits all industries represented by our project partners, enabling them to operate more efficiently and effectively in their respective fields. The 2 micron -consortium will finally be able to choose between 1 µm- and 2 µm technology to find the best solution for any applications of our partners.

Annekathrin: Thank you for sharing this valuable information about LAYERTEC GmbH and its involvement in the project.