Catenaa, Friday, November 14, 2025-Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and Stuttgart Instruments GmbH have developed a compact, highly efficient short-pulse laser system capable of fitting in the palm of a hand.
The multipass optical parametric amplifier achieves up to 80% energy efficiency, more than double the performance of existing designs, while generating pulses shorter than 50 femtoseconds. The innovation could advance applications in medicine, manufacturing, analytics, and environmental monitoring.
Short-pulse lasers emit extremely brief bursts of light, allowing precise delivery of high energy to tiny targets.
Traditionally, such lasers required large, complex systems with significant power losses.
The Stuttgart team overcame these challenges with a multipass design, running pulses repeatedly through a single short crystal while maintaining precise synchronization between pump and signal lasers. This approach preserves both efficiency and a wide bandwidth.
The system’s versatility allows adaptation to different wavelengths, crystal types, and pulse durations. Potential applications include ultra-precise material processing in industry, advanced imaging in medicine, molecular measurements in quantum research, and environmental sensing.
The compact design significantly reduces size, weight, and cost, potentially replacing larger, less efficient laser systems.
Researchers highlight the innovation’s portability and tunability, emphasizing that the method could democratize access to high-performance lasers for labs, clinics, and industrial sites.
The study, published in Nature, was supported by multiple German federal and regional research programs, foundations, and technological initiatives, including the MIRESWEEP project.
Stuttgart scientists create a palm-sized, highly efficient short-pulse laser, enabling compact, precise tools for medicine, manufacturing, and advanced research.
