Overview of laser technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory has had a long history of involvement in laser sciences and has been recognized both for its large laser programs and smaller scale developments in laser technology and applications. The first significant program was with the Rover nuclear-based rocket propulsion system in 1968 to study laser initiated fusion. From here applications spread to programs in laser isotope separation and development of large lasers for fusion. These programs established the technological human resource base of highly trained laser physicists, engineers, and chemists that remain at the Laboratory today. Almost every technical division at Los Alamos now has some laser capability ranging from laser development, applications, studies on nonlinear processes, modeling and materials processing. During the past six years over eight R&D-100 Awards have been received by Los Alamos for development of laser-based techniques and instrumentation. Outstanding examples of technology developed include LIDAR applications to environmental monitoring, single molecule detection using fluorescence spectroscopy, a laser-based high kinetic energy source of oxygen atoms produced by a laser-sustained plasma, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for compositional, analysis, thin film high temperature superconductor deposition, multi-station laser welding, and direct metal deposition and build-up of components by fusing powder particles with a laser beam.