Lasers4EU

Laserlab-Europe Talk: Materials and post-processes for multi-photon lithography, 29 April 2026
2026-04-29 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Berlin)
Title: Materials and post-processes for multi-photon lithographySpeaker: Dimitra Ladika (VULRC)Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2026, 16:00-17:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Multi-photon lithography (MPL) enables the fabrication of true 3D micro- and nanostructures without the need for masks or complex tooling, directly from computer-aided designs. Owing to these unique capabilities, MPL has emerged as a powerful manufacturing technique across a wide range of disciplines. The ongoing growth of MPL is closely linked to advances in material design and post-processing strategies.
In particular, the composition of MPL photoresists, including the presence or absence of photoinitiators, plays a critical role in defining fabrication thresholds, resolution, and the optical properties of the resulting structures. While photoinitiators can enhance polymerization efficiency, they may also introduce fluorescence and coloration, limiting their use in certain applications. In contrast, photoinitiator-free and doped systems offer alternative pathways toward improved optical performance. The interaction of these materials with femtosecond laser irradiation across multiple wavelengths provides additional flexibility for controlling polymerization and tailoring spectral response.
Additionally, post-processing approaches, such as calcination and surface coatings, further extend the capabilities of MPL by enabling the fabrication of fully inorganic and spectrally adaptable architectures. These strategies enhance the functionality and stability of the fabricated 3D structures without fundamentally altering the initial material platform.
Overall, these developments demonstrate the potential of material-driven approaches in MPL for applications in photonics and optoelectronics.

Watch the LLE Talk

Laserlab-Europe Talk: Elucidating the Photon Migration Effects in Incubated Chicken Eggs using Time-Domain Diffuse Optics, 20 May 2026
2026-05-20 16:00 - 17:00
Title: Elucidating the Photon Migration Effects in Incubated Chicken Eggs using Time-Domain Diffuse Optics Speaker: Lennard van den Tweel (Wageningen University and Research) Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 16:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST)
The early and non-invasive assessment of chicken embryonic sex and viability is of great interest. This interest is driven by the ethical dilemma surrounding the culling of non-productive day-old male chicks in layer-hen production and by the need to improve hatchery efficiency. Optical techniques are widely investigated for these applications, but are challenged by the complex optical properties and heterogeneous structure of avian eggs. Here, we show that chicken eggs display unusual photon trapping behavior due to the eggshell behaving like an integrating sphere, considerably extending photon time-of-flight. Time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (TD-DOS) on egg phantoms, supported by Monte Carlo simulations and post-dispersive filtering experiments, rule out fluorescence as the source for the long photon time-of-flight. These results point to diffuse reflections at the inner surface of the eggshell as the source of the long photon time-of-flight. Despite these boundary effects, the retrieval of internal bulk optical properties remains feasible via inversion of the diffusion approximation after selection of appropriate boundary conditions, as was demonstrated in incubated eggs. Finally, phantom experiments illustrate how the integrating sphere affects the temporal response of time-resolved Raman and fluorescence measurements, highlighting critical challenges in non-invasive optical characterization of avian embryos.

Laserlab-Europe Talk: Medical Radionuclide Production by Laser Wakefield Acceleration, 10 June 2026
2026-06-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Title: Medical Radionuclide Production by Laser Wakefield Acceleration Speaker: Dino Jaroszynski (University of Strathclyde) Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 16:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST)
We present a study of the production of 67Cu medical radioisotopes using bremsstrahlung radiation produced by 150 pC bunches of high energy electrons from a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) when they interact with dense convertor material. The experiments demonstrating photonuclear production of radioisotopes have been carried out at the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based accelerators (SCAPA). 10 kBq of 67Cu was produced by irradiating enriched 68Zn over a five-hour irradiation period at approximately 1 Hz repetition rate, which provides an important experimental benchmark. This work assesses the performance of current LWFA systems and establishes the requirements of future commercial LWFA-based systems and extrapolations suggests that the next stage of development. A facility based on optically pumped CO2 laser technologies could potentially achieve clinically relevant activity levels of 67Cu. The project is part of the MedRadLaser collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, National Physical Laboratory, the University of the West of Scotland, and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The studies will be extended and form part of the newly funded EUPOPA project.
The MedRadLaser collaboration involves Giuseppe Lorusso[1], Dino A. Jaroszynski[2], David O’Donnell[3], S. Mark Wiggins[2], Baris Bingol[2], Peter Ivanov[1], Ben Russel[1], and Lanre Yusuf[1]
[1] NPL Science and Engineering Directorate, UK[2] Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK[3] School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, UK

Watch the LLE Talk

Laserlab-Europe Talk: Frequency Comb Interferometry, 1 July 2026
2026-07-01 16:00 - 17:00
Title: Frequency Comb InterferometrySpeaker: Nathalie Picqué (Max Born Institute Berlin)Date: Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 16:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Optical frequency combs, generated by mode-locked femtosecond lasers, have made it possible to count the frequency of light. They now enable powerful techniques such as dual-comb interferometry. These motion-free interferometers use two combs with slightly different line spacings to achieve exceptional accuracy, speed and resolution. They enable compact integrated photonic devices and advanced applications in spectroscopy, sensing and imaging.

Watch the LLE Talk

Lasers4EU Webinar: The use and impact of artificial intelligence in research and innovation, 24 Sept 2026
2026-09-24 14:30 - 16:30
This webinar will look at how AI is becoming an integral part of the research process, from accelerating discovery through intelligent data analysis to supporting researchers as a ‘scientific co-pilot’ in design and decision-making. The speakers will also address the practical and legal implications of this shift, including licensing and data-sharing issues, and concrete applications of machine learning in experimental physics.

The use and impact of artificial intelligence in research and innovation
Speakers and titles:Michael Bussmann (HZDR): The Use and Impact of AI in R&D, and Creative Commons Licences in R&DSlav Ivanov (University of Strathclyde): The Scientific Copilot, the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Design and DiscoveryBaptiste Fabre (CELIA): The Use of Machine Learning for the Photoionisation Analysis of Chiral MoleculesDate: Thursday, 24 September 2026, 14:30 – 16:30 CEST

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.
