Researchers at South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have developed the world's first digital laser. This innovation is regarded as a milestone in laser technology and could spur future laser-related innovations. 

The researchers discovered that laser beams can be digitally controlled within the laser. Professor Andrew Forbes, the research leader, said this new technology would benefit society in many ways. “From healthcare, to manufacturing, to communications; we have definitely not thought of all the possible uses.” In conventional lasers the light that emerges stays the same, except if it is shaped after exiting with a spatial light modulator. With this new technology, the light can be changed before it exits the laser. 

The digital laser allows a wide variety of light patterns to be produced by means of holograms. “Patterns can be made using lasers in manufacturing. You will be able to digitally modify the laser to make specific patterns,” said Forbes. “This will significantly reduce the cost of laser equipment as you only need one laser to do a multitude of jobs.” There is hardly a domain of our modern existence which does not benefit from some form of laser technology. The domains range from devices for laser lighting displays in entertainment to office equipment such as laser printers, DVD players at home, barcode scanners in the shops, surgical technology in hospitals or devices to cut and weld industrial materials in factories. Laser devices normally consist of mirrors, energy (light) and a casing containing a medium, for example crystal or glass. 

The medium changes the frequency of the light to create a laser beam with the perfect characteristics for these different applications. “Our digital laser uses the LCD as one of its mirrors that is fitted at one end of the laser cavity. Just as with LCD televisions, the LCD inside the laser can be sent pictures to display. When the pictures change on the LCD inside, the properties of the laser beams that exit the device change accordingly,” said Prof. Andrew Forbes, leader of the mathematical optics research group. The researchers have shown that this allows a purely digital control of what comes out of the laser (laser modes) in real-time, hence the name ‘digital laser’. CSIR Researcher Sandile Ngcobo, who conducted the breakthrough experimental work as part of his PhD studies, believes the significance of the research is to demonstrate the ability within the CSIR to lead innovation in this field.

Sources: http://citizen.co.za/48052/carla-techz/, http://ntww1.csir.co.za/plsql/ptl0002/PTL0002_PGE157_MEDIA_REL?MEDIA_RELEASE_NO=7525990 Image(s): Dr Sandile Ngcobo, http://citizen.co.za/48052/carla-techz/