ADVANCED LASER TECHNOLOGY - Cooperative Research

Advanced Laser Technologies for Australia’s Future

ADVANCED LASER

TECHNOLOGY COOPERATIVE RESEARCH CENTRE

The Laser CRC will deliver breakthrough advances in laser technology with direct application to industry.

Join a vibrant sovereign ecosystem to access, experiment with, develop and manufacture a wide & innovative range of laser-based systems and techniques.

Advanced Laser Technology Cooperative Research Centre

Lasers are all around us - in our computer mice and mobile phones, our internet, our industries - cutting, welding, surface texturing - our art and heritage. They match twenty-first century needs - flexible, contactless energy delivery, low-

toxicity, energy efficient. They are changing the way we live and stretching the limits of our imagination.

The Advanced Laser Technology Cooperative Research Centre (Laser CRC) will bring industry and academia together to image, develop and implement

new laser systems and techniques. Our combined perspectives and expertise can resolve technical issues in decontamination, equipment maintenance

and surface processing, and drive innovation and creativity in areas such as defence, manufacturing, medicine and the arts. Close ties to industry needs will

ensure a focus on high performance and robust, affordable platforms. The Laser CRC will power a renaissance in high technology Australian

manufacturing, build new industries around specialised lasers, reduce asset maintenance and restoration costs in key Australian sectors, and provide a new

cadre of highly trained laser specialists to industry.

Our VisionTo establish a visionary and enduring Australian laser-based high tech industry that provides competitive manufacturing advantages and laser-based products

both domestically and internationally. We aim to make cutting-edge laser technology the pre-eminent solution for new challenges in areas such as

manufacturing industries, national security, health care and asset maintenance.

Our MissionTo establish Australia as a leader in advance laser technologies, connecting

Australian industry needs with academic expertise to deliver breakthrough laser innovations that change how we live and work.

Challenges addressed through the Laser CRC’s comprehensive and wide-ranging research programs.

Need for specialised high value lasers not commercially available

The Laser CRC will develop a modular scalable solution to these requirements

and have a commercial outcome benefiting all players in

Australia.

Limited multi-material capabilities and quality in additive manufacturing

Additive processing is a major new thematic area where advanced laser techniques

have applicability and some specific advantages. This is vastly

unresearched in most areas.

Current high cost of advanced laser systems prohibits wide-spread use The laser is a major cost component for these

systems. Leveraging a scalable smart technology solution would enable affordable systems providing Australian industry with

a competitive advantage.

Complex large asset maintenance where human access is not feasible

Laser CRC will provide autonomous robotic laser systems where there are no current solutions to this issue - bridges, railways,

large buildings ships, submerged structures etc.

Cleaning, processing and cutting without heat or collateral damage

These processes are relatively unresearched and opportunities exist to

tackle a whole range of new infrastructure maintenance and

industrial processing applications.

Lack of qualified specialists in advanced lasers & techniques

The Laser CRC will provide education and training to fill the current gap, empowering

the workforce and driving innovation through advanced technologies

and methods. Cost-effective individual

product customisation and new materials/finishes

New and unique materials such as individualised products, black silicon

solar cells, amorphous sapphire battery separators and nanofoams.

Need for safe, in service, standoff, large-scale asset cleaningUtility networks/large plants, mining

operations and refineries require regular cleaning with significant hazards e.g.

high voltage, flammable/explosive materials. Going offline is economically challenging.

New tools for medical, dental, metrology and other touch

free systemsOptimised high precision and unique laser

technology and integrated systems will break the cost and usability

barriers in these spaces.

Developing new laser architectures, scalable from low to high power • Low cost seed sources, mid-power and high

power amplifiers• Beam combination• Parametric devices and non-linear sources

• Space-qualified laser hardware

Building integrated and autonomous systems• Improved optical coatings for next generation lasers• Achromatic reflaxicon and other novel optics• Beam delivery / handling / fast scanning systems• Environmentally friendly waste capture and disposal• Automated and autonomous systems• Customised crawling robotics for complex structures

Research Programs

Program 1: Laser Innovation Program 1 will develop innovative laser components and systems.

Develop advanced ablative laser techniques • Cold laser ablation• Removal by laser-induced shock-wave and/or

ablative delamination• Laser cutting, drilling, texturing, engraving,

machining

• Laser sterilisation and surface functionalisation

Developing advanced additive / modification processing • Laser sintering, peening, hardening, welding,

cladding• Rapid laser processing of delicate materials

e.g. composites• Laser-assisted printing, direct-writing,

forward transfer, 3D printing

Developing new opportunities for laser processing • Combinational synthesis, band-gap engineering,

oxidation state transformation• Pulsed laser deposition• Laser policy and induction of paramagnetic

moments.

Program 2: Advanced Laser Techniques Program 2 will develop and customise laser interactions for specialised applications including high throughput and/or high precision processes.

Program 3: Laser System Applications Program 3 will combine advancements in Programs 1 & 2 to enable applications of lasers across different industry sectors including but not limited to:

Asset Cleaning, Maintenance and Conservation • Built infrastructure• Power generation/distribution infrastructure• Oil and gas infrastructure• Mining and steel production• Laser cladding and peening• Heritage/artwork conservation and restoration

• Hazardous waste mitigation

New Material Manufacturing • Ultra-hard materials• Nano-materials and nano-foams

• Magnetic carbon

Medical Application and Diagnostics • Laser surgery• Dental drilling and crown preparation

• Diagnostics

Clean, Safe and Renewable Energies • Battery separators• Solar cell texturing

• Generation of high surface area catalysts

• Laser-ignited non-thermal fusion

Space Applications • Space junk de-orbiting• Laser guide stars• Laser communication

• Laser propulsion

Defence Applications• Directed energy, laser effector• Hexavalent chromium decontamination• DIRCM - Infra-red counter measures• Ranging

• Coating removal

Aerospace and Automotive Applications • Composite to metal bonding

• Composites processing

Laser-based Instrumentation • LIDAR

• Chemical analysis

Novel Machining • Laser based machining

• Sharpening diamond / other machine tools

Customised Production / Speciality Services • Marking, 3D printing• Novel processing methods

New Laser Technologies

HighPrecision

High Throughput

NewMaterials

Stand off Applications

International and Australian Perspectives The transformative Laser CRC will leverage a broad range of world-leading Australian laser technologies in areas such as mid-infrared lasers, active photonic hybrid integration, ultrafast lasers and processing, exotic rare-earth doped materials, multiphoton processing, non-linear optical devices, semiconductor laser technology, special glasses/ceramics and microstructured fibres. This will be accomplished by teaming with leading academic groups with established industry players, and drawing on Australian and international expertise through our network of institutional partners.

Prospective Australian academic partners

• The Australian National University• Macquarie University• Swinburne University of Technology• University of South Australia• University of Adelaide• University of Canberra• University of Technology Sydney

• RMIT University• Queensland University of Technology• University of Tasmania

International expertise through our collaborators

• Fraunhofer Institute of Laser Technology(ILT Germany)

• Laser, Plasma and Photonics ProcessesLaboratory (LP3, France)

• Laser Centrum Hannover (Germany)• Institute of Laser Engineering Osaka

University (Japan)• Naval Research Lab (USA)• Karlsruhe Institute of Nanotechnology

(INT, Germany)• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA)

Invitation to Participate The Laser CRC would like to invite industry, government and academic to participate in this exciting new collaboration.

Benefits of Participation • Access to a unique scalable laser

technology platform to build customiseddevices.

• Access to new laser processingtechniques.

• Influence action on workforce andskills shortages in the laser and opticsindustry.

• Drive the translation laser innovationsinto practice.

• Take advantage of enhanced R&D taxconcessions.

• Access to cost effective applied researchthrough matched Commonwealthfunding.

• Access to a network of the industry’sleading organisations.

• Access to industry embedded PhDstudents to support your organisation.

• Enhance credibility with customersthrough participation in the CRC.

• Access research and innovation thatadvance and grow the industry.

• Be part of Australia’s best and biggesthigh-tech laser collaboration.

The CRC ProgramThe CRC Program is one of the largest grant funding programs in Australia. It is significant component of the national innovation system supporting medium to long-term collaboration between the producers and end users of research.The aim of the program is to build critical mass in research ventures between end users and researchers which tackle clearly articulated, major challenges that deliver significant economic, environmental and/or social benefits to Australia. Funding typically ranges between $10 million and $70 million for each CRC. With more than 220 CRCs being funded since the program’s launch in 1990, the Australian Government has committed more than $4.4 billion in CRC Program funding with a further $13.5 billion in cash and in-kind contributions from CRC participants.

Application Funding Timeline Round 23 dates (approximate only) Stage 1: 30 Apr 2022 – 29 Jul 2022 Stage 2: Nov 2022 – Jan 2023 Interviews: Feb 2023

CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Ksenia MaximovaBid Coordinator

Laser Physics Centre Research School of Physics The Australian National University

E: [email protected]

Andrei Rode Acting CTO



Stephen Madden Acting CEO



Ludovic Rapp Acting Research Director



Phone: 0404 932 099

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ADVANCED LASER TECHNOLOGY - Cooperative Research