Catenaa, Thursday, December 18, 2025-Tampere University is leading a €4.4 million European Union-funded initiative to train researchers in high-power optical vortices, light beams with twisting structures that could reshape manufacturing, imaging, and communications.
The High-Power Optical Vortices (HiPOVor) Doctoral Network, supported by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program, will train 15 doctoral students to generate, amplify, and apply these structured light beams.
The project aims to develop reliable techniques for producing and maintaining high-power vortex beams for practical applications.
Optical vortices carry orbital angular momentum, offering potential for precision material processing, particle acceleration, high-capacity communication, and other emerging photonic technologies.
Current barriers include inconsistent beam creation and degradation during propagation or interaction with materials, which HiPOVor seeks to overcome.
The program combines advanced research with hands-on, intersectoral training. Researchers will work across the full development pipeline, from component design and light-matter interaction studies to high-power amplification and real-world testing.
The project also emphasizes sustainability, aiming to reduce energy consumption, hardware size, and hazardous chemical use in photonics applications.
HiPOVor unites eight European universities, industrial partners, and research organizations, including the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics facility, one of the world’s most powerful laser centers.
The consortium will foster collaboration across academia and industry, encouraging innovation in structured light technologies.
The initiative officially begins January 1, 2026, and is positioned to advance both photonics research and workforce development, equipping the next generation of scientists and engineers with expertise in high-power optical vortex applications.
