Hamamatsu Photonics has developed a laser-diode-pumped industrial high-energy pulsed laser system that delivers the world’s highest output of 117 joules making it a promising tool that opens up totally new areas of laser processing.

2019/04/17

External view of high-energy industrial pulsed laser system

Hamamatsu Photonics has established technology for efficiently cooling a laser medium (Note 1) and developed an industrial pulsed laser system that produces a pulse energy of 117 joules - the world’s highest among laser-diode-pumped (hereafter LD-pumped) (Note 2) lasers. This newly developed laser system will further enhance the laser peening effect for hardening the surfaces of metal materials used in aircraft and automobiles. This laser system will also prove a powerful assist for new laser processing applications such as laser forming for shaping metal materials and paint removal.

This laser system was developed by the “Research and Development of Next Generation Laser Processing Technology” project supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which is a national research and
development agency in Japan. This laser system will be presented at the International Congress on Optics & Photonics “OPIC 2019” held in Pacifico Yokohama (Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan) for 5 days from April 22 (Mon) to 26 (Fri).

(Note 1) Laser medium: A material that stores energy from an external source and imparts that energy to laser light passing through it to amplify the optical power.

(Note 2) Pumping:Process in which atoms and molecules are excited to a higher energy level byabsorbing light. Lasers emit light with energy amplified by irradiating low-power seed light onto a pumped or excited laser medium.