Femtosecond lasers for plasma-assisted micro material processing and bioprocess technology.

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442394495

Femtosecond lasers are fundamental elements in modern photonics and nonlinear optics. Applications include industrial metrology, surface treatment, spectroscopy, microscopy and medicine. If compact systems with a narrow parameter regime are preferred in industrial applications for reasons of cost and space, systems with a large parameter space are often required for research. The femtosecond laser applied for will be used in research, which is carried out in the research focus "Laser and Plasma Technology" of the University of Applied Science and Arts Hildesheim, Holzminden, Goettingen at the Faculty of Natural Science and Technology. The majority of the research is carried out on: o surface modification (e.g. functionalization, micro structuring) of solids (e.g. metals, polymers, glasses, biological materials) by combined plasma action; o application of femtosecond laser technology in bioprocess engineering and medicine.The HAWK is put in a position with this large device, to investigateo micro material processing with high efficiency and shape fidelity also on thermally sensitive substrates;o the interaction mechanisms of femtosecond laser radiation in combination with atmospheric pressure plasma for micro material processing;o femtosecond laser-based diagnostic and therapeutic methods for ophthalmology;o femtosecond laser-based methods for genomics/structural biology.The large wavelength range of 210-1030 nm required for the projects in combination with high pulse energies above 50 nJ can be realized by a fiber laser pumped Optical Parametric Amplifier with a subsequent second and third harmonic generation. A detailed specification for the large device applied for was derived from the results of “German Research Foundation” and “Federal Ministry of Education and Research”-funded projects. The system fits perfectly into current and planned research projects. A modular design ensures sustainable use and application in other application fields (e.g. 3-photon imaging, lifetime determination using "pump & probe" methods) by integrating additional modules.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Femtosekundenlaser für plasma-unterstützte Mikromaterialbearbeitung und Bioprozesstechnologie.
• Instrumentation Group: 5700 Festkörper-Laser
• Applicant Institution: Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst; Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen
• Leader: Professor Dr. Christoph Russmann