The Materials processing with ultrashort pulsed lasers course will offer students understandin on the use of ultrashort laser pulses for the modification of materials properties towards their exploitation in applications in diverse fields.
The course will be divided into 4 parts:
1. Introduction to lasers and laser safety safety
As an introduction to lasers and working with them, it is compulsory that the students receive general laser safety guidelines and approaches to tackle possible accidents with laser radiation. Lasers: general concepts. In this part, fundamental concepts that describe the physics behind laser radiation generation, as well as a general classification of the available laser types will be presented. A brief introduction to optics and how it can be used for modulating the spatial distribution of laser beams will also be included.
2. Fundaments on ultrashort pulsed laser (USP) generation
Short pulse generation. A combination of concept ideas combined with the physics for the generation of pulsed lasers, paying particular attention to short and ultrashort pulse generation will be discussed.
3. Introduction to materials processing with USP light sources
A general description of metal, semiconductor and dielectric materials and their interaction with laser irradiation will be included. Concepts at the base for the understanding of the nonlinear processes that can be triggered with short and ultrashort pulsed lasers will be described both conceptually and mathematically. A brief introduction to fabrication and processing of complex materials with lasers will give an opening for applications in real life fields.
4. Applications of USP in optics, medicine, biology, tribology, energy.
During the last part of the course, specific applications with lasers will be described. The closing point here will be a visit to an industrial or materials science related partner, so that the students could ground the knowledge gathered during the course.