Photonics & Optics Division

[IMAGE: Cleanroom interior with yellow safelight illumination, optical tables covered with laser optics and diagnostic equipment]

Figure 1: Class 100 cleanroom in Building 1. Two actively-isolated optical tables are visible; the left table carries the Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser system, the right houses the CW OPO and spectroscopic ellipsometer. The thin-film deposition cluster tool is in the background.

The Photonics & Optics Division, led by Dr. Akira Tanaka, is ISOCTA's founding research group and the Institute's largest division by personnel. It occupies approximately 280 m² of Class 100 and Class 1000 cleanroom space in Building 1, supplemented by a rooftop free-space optical test range.

Core competencies span laser source development, non-linear optics, thin-film deposition, optical metrology, and free-space optical communications. The division maintains design, fabrication, and characterisation capability from the UV through to the mid-IR.

Research Programmes

Laser Sources & Development

Custom laser systems for Institute projects and partner requirements. Current work includes a single-frequency Nd:YAG MOPA for intersatellite communications and a broadly-tunable CW optical parametric oscillator for high-resolution mid-IR spectroscopy. » Programme page

Coherent Free-Space Optical Communications

Phase II programme developing coherent optical links for high-bandwidth free-space data transmission. Includes adaptive optics for atmospheric turbulence compensation and phase-locked diode laser arrays for coherent beam combining. Supported in part through ESA consultancy arrangements. » Programme page

Non-Linear Optical Materials

Characterisation and development of periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN), KTP, and organic NLO crystals for frequency conversion applications. Includes second-harmonic generation efficiency mapping and damage-threshold testing at multiple wavelengths. » Programme page

Thin-Film Deposition & Characterisation

Multi-layer dielectric coatings for laser optics, AR coatings for IR optics, and transparent conductive oxide films. Deposition by e-beam evaporation, ion-assisted deposition, and RF sputtering. Characterisation by spectroscopic ellipsometry, spectrophotometry, and AFM. » Programme page

Mid-IR Spectroscopic Systems

Development of tunable mid-IR sources and detection systems for trace-gas sensing and molecular spectroscopy. Applications in environmental monitoring and industrial process control. » Programme page

Major Equipment

System	Specification
Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser	<50 fs pulse width, 1 kHz, 2 mJ/pulse @ 800 nm
CW Nd:YAG MOPA	Single-frequency, 25 W @ 1064 nm, 10 W @ 532 nm, <5 kHz linewidth
CW optical parametric oscillator	Tunable 2.5–4.5 μm, <100 kHz linewidth, 1.5 W idler output
Spectroscopic ellipsometer	UV–NIR (190–1700 nm), variable angle, motorised mapping stage
E-beam evaporation system	4-pocket, cryo-pumped, base <3×10⁻⁹ mbar, ion-assist
RF magnetron sputtering	3-target, confocal geometry, DC/RF, substrate heating to 600°C
Mask aligner	UV365/405 nm, contact/proximity, 2 μm resolution
AFM / STM	Ambient, contact/tapping/phase imaging, <1 nm lateral resolution

Key Personnel

Dr. Akira Tanaka — Division Head. Laser physics, non-linear optics. Biography
Dr. Helena Voss — Executive Director (joint appointment). Optical communications, device physics.
Additional research staff: 8 scientists, 3 engineers, 2 technicians. Full directory

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