Labs and instruments

Ultraviolet Laser Facility

Ultraviolet Laser facility at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (ULF-FORTH) in Greece

Description of the infrastructure
The Ultraviolet Laser Facility (ULF-FORTH) is a multi-disciplinary scientific laboratory dedicated to laser-based science, supporting high quality basic and technological research. It is the major laser research facility in Greece. ULF-FORTH combines state-of-the-art experimental facilities with a rich spectrum of research activities and scientific expertise that provide an intellectual environment, ideal for fostering new ideas and advancing scientific research.

Experimental Areas of Research at ULF-FORTH. Laboratories & contact persons:

Strong Field Physics
11111• Attosecond Science
1111111Contact: Dr. P. Tzallas (ptzallas@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/attosecond-science
11111• Ultrashort Non-linear Interactions and Sources
1111111Contact: Prof. St. Tzortzakis (stzortz@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/ultrashort-non-linear
Dynamic Processes in Atoms, Molecules and Materials
11111• Polarization Spectroscopy
1111111Contact: Prof. P. Rakitzis (ptr@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/polarization-spectroscopy
11111• BEC and Matter Waves
1111111Contact: Dr. W. von Klitzing (wvk@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/bec
11111• Chemical dynamics
1111111Contact: Dr. P. Samartzis (sama@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/chemical-dynamics
11111• Cluster Physics and Chemistry
1111111Contact: Dr. M. Velegrakis (vele@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/cluster-physics-and-chemistry
Photon Science Applications
11111• Photonic Materials & Devices
1111111Contact: Dr. S. Pissadakis (pissas@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/PMDL
11111• Laser Materials Processing, including:
1111111111– Nonlinear Lithography
111111111111Contact: Dr. Maria farsari (mfarsari@iesl.forth.gr)
111111111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/NLL_Group
1111111111– Ultra-fast Laser Micro- & Nano- Processing
111111111111Contact: Dr. E. Stratakis (stratak@iesl.forth.gr)
111111111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/ULNMP-Group
11111• Diagnostic Methodologies & Instrumentation
1111111Contacts: Prof. D. Anglos (anglos@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. P. A. Loukakos (loukakos@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. A, Klini (klini@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. D. Gray (dgray@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/diagnostic-methodologies
11111• Photonics for Cultural Heritage
1111111Contacts: Prof. D. Anglos (anglos@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. P. Pouli (ppouli@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Ms. V. Tornanri (vivitor@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/photonics-heritage-science
11111• Photonics for Agrofoods and Environment
1111111Contacts: Dr. M. Velegrakis (vele@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/agrophotonics#tab-interests
11111• Biophotonics
1111111Contacts: Dr. Y. Zacharakis (zahari@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. A. Ranella (ranthi@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111111111111111Dr. G. Filippidis (filip@iesl.forth.gr)
1111111https://www.iesl.forth.gr/en/research/biophotonics

Services currently offered by the infrastructure
The major laser systems and facilities at ULF-FORTH include:

  • Several Ti:Sa lasers with pulse duration down to >20 fs and energy <500 mJ/pulse at repetition rates of 10 Hz and 50 Hz. The Attosecond Science unit provides to Users energetic isolated pulses or trains of attosecond pulses. The beam line makes available non linear XUV autocorrelators and XUV-pump- XUV-probe delay lines as well as IR-XUV cross-correlators and delay lines. Ion mass, photoelectron and ion microscope with 1 μm resolution, XUV flat field spectrometer and other diagnostic facilities are also offered. Tunable XUV radiation is in the range (55-115 nm; 105-1011 photons/pulse per harmonic on target). Secondary ultra-short sources in the UV-NIR as well as an intense THz source (0.1-10 THz, with peak power allowing nonlinear studies) are also available.
  • A high-intensity excimer-based laser at 248 nm, with variable pulse duration
    (150 fs, 450 fs or 5 ps) and focused intensities <1016 W/cm2.
  • A complete range of tunable Vis-UV-VUV lasers (205–1800 nm; 5-20 ns), a White-light (500-2000 nm, 100MHz rep. rate, few μJ/pulse, <1ns) laser and CW diode lasers (402nm, 795nm, 1300-1340 nm, linewidth <1 MHz), all coupled to experimental workstations for atomic and molecular spectroscopy and chemical dynamics.
  • Several compact fs and ps laser systems in workstations for micro/nano
    processing and photochemical modification; Large-area processing of optoelectronics devices in controlled atmosphere; pump-probe (UV-VIS-nIR- white light, fs-ps) time-resolved spectroscopy; 3D printing applications as in micro-optical components, microfluidic devices; 3D scaffolds for cell growth, micro/nanosensors, nanophotonics and metamaterials
  • Biophotonics stations integrating Live cell Microscopy + Non-linear Imaging + Cellular manipulation + Bioprinting; Nonlinear Bio-medical imaging and nanosurgery; a range of confocal microcopy stations for live cell imaging; multispectral Fluorescence Molecular Tomography for spatio-temporal gene expression; Micro-Absorption/Photoluminenscence spectroscopy (4K-380K); Optical fiber components manufacturing; Photoacoustic imaging and monitoring among others.
  • Additional characterization facilities include SQUID Magnetometry (DC & AC f= 0.01 – 1000 Hz, <7 Tesla, (1.9–400)K and (300-800)K), XRD, TEM/SEM among others.