World’s first digital laser unveiled in South Africa

[muriel_volestrangler]

Researchers at South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have unveiled the world's first digital laser.

The innovation is regarded as a milestone in laser technology and could spur future laser-related developments.

CSIR researcher Sandile Ngcobo conducted the breakthrough experimental work as part of his PhD studies.

The laser will allow the scientists to digitally control laser beams and shape new ways of developing technology that will improve various aspects of everyday such as faster broadband and medical advancements.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24331926

(Video at that link; text description below

CSIR shows off ‘world first’ digital laser

In conventional lasers, the shape of the beam is either left uncontrolled or is forced into a specific shape using costly optics. For example, surgical lasers are used for precision cutting.

The digital laser uses a “spatial light modulator” — it has a liquid crystal display (LCD) that can be “digitally addressed” with grayscale images that alter the beam.
...
Fittingly, the project came about because of the work of a student, Sandile Ngcobo, a PhD candidate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s school of physics and research scientist at the CSIR. Ngcobo, along with Forbes, Liesl Burger and Igor Litvin published a paper detailing their work published in January.
...
The laser could also find use in communication. “People are talking about using the shapes of light to increase the bandwidth of communications,” Forbes says. “The digital laser might be one of the solutions to packing data into patterns of light and passing it down fibre optics.”

http://www.techcentral.co.za/csir-shows-off-world-first-digital-laser/43720/

[DetlefK]

1. Your headline made me think of this: