Mission

To study and develop new lasers based on optical materials and
new technologies, towards laser applications in medicine, industry and environment pollution monitoring.

The Center for Lasers and Applications - CLA is currently implementing the following programs: CEPOF - formation of 10 excellence centers at the state of São Paulo, for Research, Education and Dissemination of Scientific Activities; the “Development of a Table Top TW system and its applications” program and the participation on the National Virtual Network of Research “Instituto Fábrica do Milênio”. Our staff is composed by 12 Ph.D. and 3 MSc. (currently under Ph.D. programs), 8 technicians and 2 clerical employees. The center comprises two divisions, the Materials and Laser Technology Division, with the Crystal Growth, Spectroscopy and Laser Development Laboratories and the Lasers Application Division, including the Laser Materials Processing (LMP), Laser in Life Sciences (LLS), Biomedical Instrumentation and Laser in Pollution Detection (LPD) Laboratories. Besides, a high intensity (TW) Table Top Laser System (T3) is under construction and presently delivers more than 10 GW of peak power. A new crystal growing technique (micro-pulling down) was established since 2002; it allows the fast growth of small size, good optical and crystallographic quality crystals for new materials studies. Large size, good optical quality fluoride crystals, like Cr:LiSrAlF6 were also grown to be used in our T3 system and for other laser applications. One of these crystals was used for the development of a laser operating at 2.3 mm, which is suitable for monitoring carbon monoxide; this laser currently delivers 520 mW of quasi c.w. power, remarkable for diode pumped compact laser systems.

The LMP Laboratory is continuously supporting the R&D for new industrial applications. The most recent one is the development of a new weld for the Brazilian satellite propulsion system that can stand high temperatures in a highly corrosive environment. The LLS area has grown significantly, with the conclusion of 52 professional master degree thesis in Lasers in Dentistry in the last 3 years. This course was evaluated by the regulation agency CAPES, with grade 5, the maximum possible for its category. New techniques were developed (Laser Doppler Flowmetry, fluorescence detection of caries, OCT, etc.) receiving national and international prizes in several conferences. The LPD Lab was the first to deploy a LIDAR system for pollution detection at São Paulo and took part in an international pollution campaign (Hibiscus-Troccinox-Troccibras-2004) comprehending the European Community, Japan, U.S.A. and Norway. Finally, the T3 system and its applications are under way with 4 laboratories ready for operation. Presently, in a demonstration, 85% enrichment of Boron isotope was achieved with only 1 hour of laser processing. High precision non-thermal machinery is currently done at this laboratory. One of the researchers is a member of an IUPAP commission, the International Committee for Ultrahigh Intensity Lasers - UCUIL. In the considered period CLA has published about 300 documents (thesis, dissertations, patents, articles, abstracts and conference texts) being almost one hundred international manuscripts.

Nilson Dias Vieira Junior
Manager

R&D activities

• Development of industrial laser applications
• Rare-earth doped materials: time resolved luminescence spectroscopy induced by
  short pulse laser excitation
• Yb:Tm:YLF laser emitting at 2.3 micrometers pumped by a 960 nm diode bar
• Crystal growth of fluoride single crystals fibers
• Laser and instrumentation in life sciences
• Laser applications in environmental sciences
• Development of a high power laser system and its applications
  
  
  
  
• Publication list