Overview

The fundamental research projects undertaken at the NCLA seek to align a programme of fundamental research with a specific opportunity for applied research or commercial exploitation. In this way the research projects seek to provide a unique training opportunity for PhD graduate students, combining scholarly research with innovation/ novelty and in-depth critical analyses.

Each project develops the topic of hybrid short pulse, laser-based, micro- and nano-scale structuring of materials.


A summary of research projects, currently underway, are given as follows:

Nanoparticle generation during short pulse laser ablation of materials.
This is the PhD topic of Natalie Haustrup. Natalie is developing an understanding of the ablation of metallic materials using real time visualisation of nanoparticles generated by short pulse laser ablation in different ambients. The project is funded by an IRCSET Embark fellowship.

Short pulse laser structuring of glass materials
This is the PhD topic of Daniel Neito. Daniel is investigating a hybrid process to structure glass using nanosecond infrared (IR) laser sources.  The process is based on developing a new energy transfer mechanism for efficient IR laser structuring of glass materials at low laser fluences. The process has applications in micro-optics and microfluidic technologies. The project is partly funded by HIRESOMI, a Marie Curie International Training Network.

Beam shaping in short-pulse ablation of thin films
This is the PhD topic of Cormac McDonnell. Cormac is investigating the role of beam shaping in the ablation of thin conductive coatings on dielectric substrates. The project combines the development of new grey scale, nanometre-scale, diffractive optical elements with thin film laser ablation of touch panel screens. The project is funded by an IRCSET Embark fellowship.

Laser modification of polymer materials.
This is the PhD topic of Leah Kidney. Leah is investigating the potential to re-structure polymer materials using short pulse laser radiation. The project is developing a Raman spectral technique and other mechanical tools for characterisation of the laser polymer interactions. The project is funded by an IRCSET Embark Enterprise fellowship in partnership with Creganna Tactx.

Laser surface structuring of metallic materials
This is the PhD topic of Clare McDaniel. Clare is investigating the properties of sub-micron ripple structures generated at the threshold of laser ablation. The project will investigate the formation, characterisation and application of these structures. The project is funded by an IRCSET Embark Enterprise fellowship in partnership with Boston Scientific.

Reconfigurable beam shaping for excimer ablation of micro-fluidic devices
This is the PhD topic of Kevin Conlisk. Kevin is developing a workstation, based on an excimer laser with a programmable pin-hole mask, to generate compact micro-fluidic prototype devices on polymer substrates. The project brings together a laser process simulator, integrated with a computational fluidic dynamics model, to predict the performance of the micro-fluidic structures generated by the reconfigurable laser workstation. The project was partly funded by an Enterprise Ireland project, Bedlam, under the Technology Development programme.