A new $1 million high energy, laser laboratory at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will enable faculty and students to use the latest in ultrashort pulse laser technology for applications that include improving military defense systems, detecting biological and chemical agents, and commercial uses in the biomedical and communications fields.

The Ultrashort Pulse Laser Laboratory, which is the result of one of many collaborative programs involving Rose-Hulman and the Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Ind., was officially dedicated today (Oct. 9).

Funding for the laboratory came through the Navy Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Program.

"This lab is different from the small number of ultrashort pulse laser (USPL) labs operating at other campuses for two important reasons," noted Galen Duree, associate professor of physics and optical engineering at Rose-Hulman, who will direct the projects in the laboratory.

"First, our work will concentrate on developing applications for the use of ultrashort pulse lasers rather than focusing our efforts solely on theory. Second, undergraduate students will play a major role in our projects The students are gaining experience with state-of-the-art nonlinear laser technology," Duree said.

"The laser generates light pulses that last 50 femtoseconds. If you take one second and divide it into one hundred trillion equal intervals, the laser is on for 5 of these intervals," Duree explained. "This period of time is so short that when the light encounters an atom, it leaves before the atom can respond," he said. "This system concentrates so much energy in a short time interval, that it enables us to investigate a wide area of laser applications; giving us a tremendous advantage as we investigate applications in areas such as biomedics, photonics, material processing, and others.

The partnership with Crane is focused on two issues, according to Duree. One is to assist Crane in developing USPL applications of military value. The second is to find ways of delivering the resulting technology to the soldiers in the field as quickly as possible.

Duree said work is underway to use the technology to support the missle countermeasure efforts at Crane. The USPL technology is also being applied to create systems to improve the detection and neutralization of improvised explosive devices such as roadside bombs, and to develop new methods to detect biological and chemical agents.

"These same detection schemes can also be adapted to look for other items of interest to law enforcement officials such as by-products from methamphetamine production or concealed firearms," noted Duree.

Don Schulte, head of the Ordnance Engineering Department of the Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, stated, "I am excited about the opportunities that this team has to rapidly transition products and technology to meet current and future needs of our warfighters."

Rose-Hulman President Gerald Jakubowski emphasized that students are eager to use the lab. "More students want to experience the lab than can be accommodated at this time," he said. "Seven undergraduate and two graduate students are already working in the lab."

He noted that because there are so many potential uses for USPL technology, the projects that could be conducted in the lab could involve students regardless of their technical interests from biomedical engineering to optical electronics.

Jakubowski thanked Eighth District Congressman John Hostettler for the lead role that he played in securing the federal funding for the laboratory.

"His efforts combined with support from Indiana Senators Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh have created very exciting, unique educational opportunities for our students and faculty that will result in devices to better protect our men and women serving in the Navy as well as other technical developments we can only dream about," stated Jakubowski.

Duree noted that USPL systems push the technological limits of the physical capabilities of the components of these laser systems. "Undergraduate students now have the unique experience with this system to be able to identify problems that inevitably arise and learn how to deal with them before the components are irreparably damaged," he said.

"By identifying and working on these problems in advance, we hope to minimize deficiencies and increase effectiveness of laser systems in the field. Although we have state-of-the-art measurement equipment in the lab, the best detection equipment we can purchase is unable to directly measure and define the capabilities of the USPL system.

"Therefore, the students must apply their knowledge to bridge the gap between current technology and the expanded capabilities of this system. This is definitely a unique experience for undergraduate students anywhere, " he said.