PFI-TT: Development of Novel Lens Technology for Next Generation Laser Manufacturing

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to enable much smaller and simpler laser-marking and laser-welding machines, which are critical for supply-chain management, and very widely used in all types of industries ranging from pharmaceuticals, automobile components, aerospace, electronics, food packaging and so on. The laser-marking machine market size was valued at $2.76 billion in 2020 and it is critical to the US national security and America’s global industrial leadership. The technology being developed in this PFI project will make it possible to perform laser processing over complex 3D geometries and large step heights without expensive and complex refocusing mechanisms, which could lead to a larger application space for laser-marking, while reducing overall costs. The proposed project will demonstrate extended depth of focus flat lenses for high power laser applications. This proposed flat-lens technology will improve the robustness of laser-based materials processing by allowing for focusing high-power laser beams for significantly extended distances than what is possible by the current art. This will be enabled by new inverse design paradigms as well as novel optical materials. A second innovation arises from combining programmable materials to create additional focus tunability for these lenses, which will e.g., enable overcoming mechanical refocusing through costly motor systems that are prone to failure. This PFI project is aimed at developing and translating into commercialization these new optical technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.