Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources Caps Promotes the Development of New Ultrashort Pulse Laser Sources in the Mid-Infrared Range

200,000 Euros for »Optical Quantum Metrology« at the Fraunhofer ITWM

Press Release / December 03, 2024

The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is extending its terahertz expertise to the mid-infrared range. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena, it is investigating nonlinear crystals for the optical frequency conversion of ultrashort laser pulses from the near to the mid-infrared range. The work is being funded by the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS with a total of 250,000 euros at both institutes.

The new »Optical Quantum Metrology« group is part of the »Materials Characterization and Testing« department. Together with the partner from Jena, it is researching various non-linear crystals that are to be used to generate powerful, broadband radiation in the mid-infrared range. The radiation is generated by Fraunhofer IOF's particularly coherent and brilliant femtosecond lasers. The results will be useful for the development of ultra-broadband, highly dynamic molecular spectroscopy.

One area of application is medicine: many health-related molecules contained in the air we breathe absorb particularly strongly in the infrared range and are therefore easier to detect. The researchers want to exploit this and gain new insights into the state of health of patients with the help of breath gas analyses in the infrared range.

Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS

The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS not only conducts research on laser sources, but also on systems technology and applications. The cluster functions as a »virtual institute« in which researchers from the 21 Fraunhofer Institutes contribute their combined expertise. This unique infrastructure is also open to partners from industry and basic research.

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Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources Caps Promotes the Development of New Ultrashort Pulse Laser Sources in the Mid-Infrared Range

200,000 Euros for »Optical Quantum Metrology« at the Fraunhofer ITWM

Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS

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Ilka Blauth

Contact Press / Media

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ioachim Pupeza