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| HiLASE | |
|---|---|
| Name | HiLASE |
| Established | 2013 |
| Type | Research Institute |
| Location | Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic |
| Parent | Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences |
| Focus | Laser science and engineering |
HiLASE
HiLASE is a Czech research institute specializing in high-intensity and high-average-power laser development and applications. It operates in Dolní Břežany and collaborates with European and global institutions to advance solid-state laser technology, ultrafast optics, and photonics integration. The institute serves as a hub linking academic research, industrial partners, and national research agendas.
HiLASE conducts research on high-power fiber and slab lasers, ultrafast optics, nonlinear optics, and laser materials, positioning itself among European laser centers such as Eli Beamlines, Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Forschungszentrum Jülich, CEA, and Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory. It engages with projects funded by the European Commission, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and collaborates with universities including Charles University, Czech Technical University in Prague, Masaryk University, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and École Polytechnique. HiLASE interacts with standards and industry consortia such as Laserlab Europe, Photonics21, European Laser Institute, SPIE, and OSA (Optical Society of America), fostering partnerships with companies like Trumpf, Coherent, Thales Group, Rofin-Sinar, and Thorlabs.
The institute emerged from Czech laser research traditions linked to the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the legacy of laboratories such as the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Photonics and Electronics. HiLASE was established during a period influenced by European Framework Programmes and national initiatives, interacting with projects associated with CzechInvest, Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and initiatives similar to European Research Council grants. HiLASE development involved collaborations with research centers like Optoelectronics Research Centre, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, University of St Andrews, National Research Council (Italy), and infrastructures tied to ESFRI roadmap priorities. Milestones included development of high-energy picosecond systems, partnership agreements with industry partners including E.ON-linked programs, and cooperative ventures with ABB and Siemens laboratories.
HiLASE hosts laboratories for thin-disk lasers, slab lasers, optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification, and high-average-power diode pumping, paralleling capabilities at Eli Beamlines, Daresbury Laboratory, Central Laser Facility, and Weizmann Institute of Science. Facilities include cleanrooms and testbeds used for beam delivery, metrology, and material processing, and link to national infrastructures such as CzechLight initiatives. Equipment and instrumentation involve ultrafast oscillators, diode stacks, adaptive optics, and nonlinear crystals comparable to those used at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer Society, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. HiLASE maintains calibration and measurement suites connected to standards organizations like Czech Metrology Institute and cooperates with companies such as Keysight Technologies, Newport Corporation, Edmund Optics, and ZEISS.
HiLASE research spans ultrafast laser physics, high-average-power lasers, nonlinear frequency conversion, and laser-matter interaction, aligning with thematic programs at European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, COST, and collaborative projects with DESY, CERN, ESA, and EUMETSAT. Projects include development of kilowatt-class slab lasers, industrial-grade picosecond systems, and femtosecond parametric amplifiers developed in partnership with OPTICA (formerly OSA), SPIE, and academic groups from University of Vienna, University of Salamanca, Politecnico di Milano, Technical University of Munich, and Chalmers University of Technology. HiLASE also participates in applied research on laser microprocessing with partners such as ASML, Bosch, Siemens Healthineers, Roche Diagnostics, and ABB for photonics-enabled manufacturing, biomedical device fabrication, and precision engineering.
Applications developed at HiLASE include materials processing, surface structuring, additive manufacturing support, and diagnostics relevant to aerospace companies like Airbus and Boeing; automotive firms including Volkswagen and BMW; medical device manufacturers such as Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson; and semiconductor equipment suppliers like ASML and Applied Materials. Partnerships extend to defense and security contractors such as BAE Systems, Thales Group, and Raytheon Technologies for directed-energy research, while collaborations with energy firms like Schneider Electric and General Electric tackle industrial laser cleaning and inspection. HiLASE technology transfer channels link to incubators and technology parks like Prague Startup Centre, CzechInvest accelerators, and regional development agencies.
HiLASE operates within the institutional framework of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences with governance structures coordinated with the Czech Academy of Sciences and oversight from national research funders such as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic) and Ministry of Industry and Trade (Czech Republic). Funding streams combine competitive European grants (including European Regional Development Fund), bilateral industry contracts, and national project funding administered by agencies like the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and participation in EU consortia with partners like Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, CEA, TNO, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
HiLASE researchers and projects have been recognized through invitations and presentations at conferences organized by SPIE, Photonics West, CLEO, EOSAM, and ICOLS, and have received accolades in national and European grant competitions including awards and honors linked to European Research Council recognitions and national science prizes administered by the Czech Academy of Sciences and ministries. HiLASE collaborations have featured in high-impact results disseminated via conferences and journals associated with institutions such as Nature Publishing Group, Science (journal), IEEE Photonics Society, and Optica Publishing Group.
Category:Research institutes in the Czech Republic