This project plans to develop a new class of high-power, compact, widely-tunable mid- to far-IR laser source. The team's approach is based on an intracavity collinear difference frequency generation (DFG) design in a two-chip vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL). Access to the VECSELs' high-Q intracavity circulating power at two different wavelengths with orthogonal polarization will provide efficient type-II DFG. The success of this work can have a significant impact on the development of compact, high-power mid-IR and far-IR sources and will cover various disciplines in optical science. By expanding on the basic VECSEL design, the proposed laser has great potential to efficiently generate any desired wavelength in the 3-300 micron range. This is important since in the next few years new military, medical, and sensing applications are expected to greatly expand the market potential for long wavelength laser sources.
The proposed mid-IR source has the potential to impact various fields of science and engineering, as well as in generate new products benefiting the ecosystem. By expanding on the basic VECSEL design, the proposed laser has great potential to efficiently generate any desired wavelength in the 3-300 micron range. The discoveries made within the scope of this program could have a transformative impact on a wide range of applications. Applications in biomedical, atmospheric monitoring, chemical sensing, and national defense could all benefit from advancements in mid- to far-IR lasers sources. In fact, in addition to the application-rich mid-IR, the proposed concept can be extended to the untapped spectral regions in the far-IR providing even more opportunities in the near future. collected in non-model species. This new approach opens the door for highly efficient surveys of genetic variation across diverse species. The innovation developed in this proposal has the potential to advance biodiversity research by releasing two major bottlenecks: limited availability of genetic markers in non-model systems and low sample throughput. Anchored enrichment may also open the door for a new high-throughput mining approach to pharmaceutical discovery and increased efficiency of insecticides for agriculture applications.
The objective of our I-Corps program was to explore commercialization opportunities and identify customer segments of our NSF funded research grant. Under our NSF funded grant we had developed and demonstrated a novel high-power, two-chip vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) for new wavelengths generation with significant demands. Under the I-Corps program our team participated and successfully completed an intensive NSF- I-Corps workshop. Through numerous customer interviews we identified value propositions for our technology and developed a business model for product development which focuses on these identified values. With the lessons learned through the I-corps program we (EL and PI) have created a new startup company. Our team interviewed over 80 customers in various fields and then narrowed the focus to the field of cosmetic dermatology. This focusing allowed us to better understand the customer needs and identify value propositions for our technology. Through the interviews conducted during the program, we determined that successful commercialization of our laser technology can have a significant impact on a wide range of fields including: cosmetic dermatology, surgery and defense. We used these findings for the creation of a startup company targeting a new laser tool for medical field. Successful product development for the medical field can greatly benefit both doctors and patients by improving various treatments or by offering solutions to medical problems to existing difficult to treat medical conditions. While we continue our customer discovery and identification of new customer segments we are actively pursuing opportunities in prototype development and interaction with interested customers for application based proof of concept.
