History

The roots of the Laser Components and Fibres Group can be traced back to the beginning of the 70s. The earlier working group "Dielectrical Coatings" of the Institute for Applied Physics was concentrated on the production of optical coating systems and the characterisation of losses. The group moved into the new building of the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. in the year 1992 and formed the basis for the Department of Laser Components. In the course of more than four decades of research activities in the field of high quality coated components, important contributions to ion assisted deposition processes (IAD) and ion beam sputtering (IBS) processes, as well as highly precise control of coating processes and characterisation of laser components could be made.  An overview of the technological equipment can be found here.

Recently, the Group launched a new research initiative dedicated to the study of optical fibres and their application in the premises of the HITec building. Since mid-2019, the group has been operating clean room laboratories in the HITec building, where the entire production chain and characterisation of optical fibres is mapped. The research activities are anchored both in the Quantum and Nanotechnology Master Plan of the Universities of Hannover and Braunschweig as well as in the Quantum Frontiers and PhoenixD Clusters of Excellence. An overview of the technological equipment can be found here.