Referred to as "technology
which may change the status quo", researchers at the South African CSIR
have created the first digital laser. Researchers
at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Tuesday
announced they had developed the world's first digital laser, which the
researcher responsible for the breakthrough describes as a "disruptive
technology" that could change traditional manufacturing, communications
and electronic devices.
In a traditional laser, the laser beam is shaped inside a box with
two mirrors – the curvature of these mirrors determines the size and
shape of the beam. If a researcher, company or manufacturer requires a
different beam, they either have to replace one of the mirrors in the
laser or manipulate the beam once it comes out of the laser using a
spatial light modulator.
Lasers cost thousands of rands, and altering them is a lengthy and
costly exercise.
The CSIR team, which is part of the National Laser Centre, has shown
it is possible to alter the beam from inside the laser by replacing one
of the mirrors with a computer interface. The research was published
in scientific journal Nature Communications last month.
The computer interface is "like a television which displays the image
you're watching", said Professor Andrew Forbes, chief scientist and
research group leader in the National Laser Centre's mathematical optics
group, at the press briefing at the CSIR campus in Pretoria. "The basic
idea is to digitally create the desired hologram," which acts as a
spatial light modulator, he said.
To build a laser, you require "a medium that can amplify light,
something to excite the medium and a box made of two mirrors that
bounces the light back and forward", said Forbes. "We replaced one of
the mirrors with our little television set."
With the digital laser, it does not cost anything to alter the laser beam shape or size.
Intellectual property
Sandile Ngcobo, a PhD candidate in the research unit, was the one who
realised it was possible to digitally manipulate a laser beam from
inside the laser. "I believe the digital laser will be a disruptive
technology. This is technology which may change the status quo and which
could create new markets and value networks in the next few years."
Forbes said the intellectual property sits with the CSIR, although he
mentioned that under South African law, part of it belongs to the
inventor.
His unit was spinning out a company in related technologies, but he
said they were still deciding whether the digital laser should form part
of its technology bouquet, or whether it should undergo further
development and be spun out into another company.
Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom also attended the
announcement of the laser, and said this was proof of the talent in
South Africa. "This is an advance in a technology that has a vast array
of applications. The digital laser opens a whole new world of
opportunity," he said, emphasising that "technological advancements have
to improve the lives of our people".
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