Researchers have created a groundbreaking and adaptable system that represents the next generation of short-pulse laser technology.

Ultrashort-pulse lasers—devices that emit extremely brief flashes of light—are valued for their exceptional precision and are widely used in advanced manufacturing, medical diagnostics, and scientific research. Historically, achieving both high power and high efficiency in such lasers has required large, complex, and expensive equipment.

Figure 1. Palm-Sized Laser Tech.

A team from the University of Stuttgart, in collaboration with Stuttgart Instruments GmbH, has now addressed this challenge. Their newly engineered laser system is more than twice as efficient as current models, small enough to fit in a person’s hand, and usable for a wide range of applications. The results are published in Nature. Figure 1 shows Palm-Sized Laser Tech.

Efficiency Breakthrough

“With our new system, we can achieve efficiency levels previously thought nearly impossible,” said Prof. Harald Giessen, head of the university’s 4th Physics Institute.

Their research shows that 80% efficiency can be reached with an ultrashort-pulse laser—meaning that 80% of the supplied energy is converted into useful output. By comparison, current systems reach only about 35%, wasting significant energy and increasing cost.

Immense Power in a Tiny Timescale

Short-pulse lasers produce light bursts lasting femto-, pico-, or nanoseconds—trillionths to billionths of a second. This lets them concentrate tremendous energy into a tiny area extremely quickly.

The technology works by combining two lasers: a pump laser that injects light into a special crystal and an ultrashort-pulse laser that converts this energy into infrared light. This enables precision manufacturing, advanced medical imaging, and highly accurate measurements in quantum science.

Solving a Key Engineering Challenge

Generating ultrashort pulses efficiently has long been a major hurdle, explained Dr. Tobias Steinle, lead author. Wide bandwidth is needed for short pulses, but efficient amplification traditionally requires longer crystals—conditions that are difficult to achieve in a compact design.

The Stuttgart team solved this through a new multipass method: instead of multiple crystals or one large crystal, a single small crystal is used, and the laser pulses are passed repeatedly through it while being carefully realigned. The result is a system that produces sub-50-femtosecond pulses, occupies only a few square centimeters, and uses just five components.

Wide Applications Ahead

“Our multipass concept proves that extremely high efficiency and broad bandwidth can coexist,” said Steinle. The design can replace bulky, power-hungry laser systems currently used for amplifying ultrashort pulses.

The technology is highly flexible and can be customized for different wavelengths, crystal types, and pulse durations. The team aims to develop compact, lightweight, portable, and tunable lasers with potential uses in medicine, sensing, analytical science, gas detection, and environmental monitoring.

References:

1. https://scitechdaily.com/how-a-palm-sized-laser-could-change-medicine-and-manufacturing/

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), Compact Laser Technology Could Redefine Medical and Manufacturing Applications, AnaTechMaz, pp.302