Mid-IR ultra-short pulsed laser technology for science and green industry (MIR)

The MIR project develops next-generation mid-infrared (mid-IR) laser systems as tools for both fundamental science and green industry. These lasers enable ultra-precise 3D micro-structuring of advanced materials, with direct applications in renewable energy, electronics, and medicine. In the past year, MIR achieved significant advances. Using ultrafast mid-IR laser processing, we fabricated buried nano-channels and micro-cavities in silicon with unprecedented control. These structures are directly relevant for high-efficiency solar cells, battery electrodes, and novel semiconductor sensors. A major step forward was the demonstration of silicon-based Bose–Einstein “cavities” designed to trap and cool positronium, a short-lived matter–antimatter atom. This is an essential milestone toward achieving Bose–Einstein condensation of positronium, which could one day enable a ?-ray laser at 511 keV — opening entirely new frontiers in fundamental physics and ultrahigh-resolution imaging. Our collaboration with CERN delivered another breakthrough: successful laser cooling of a positronium cloud using a broadband Alexandrite laser system developed within the project. This is a world-first step toward controlling antimatter with lasers, and it paves the way for transferring MIR’s high-energy Ti:sapphire and Cr:ZnS laser systems into these experiments. On the laser technology side, we advanced the development of high-energy Cr:ZnS amplifiers, addressing critical challenges in scaling femtosecond pulses while maintaining stability. Experiments validated theoretical predictions on the thermodynamics of dissipative solitons, providing new strategies for achieving mJ-level pulse energies at 2.4 µm. These results are directly relevant for the long-term goal of generating coherent X-ray light in the “water window,” with biomedical and environmental applications ranging from cancer diagnostics to real-time monitoring of pollutants. Overall, the project is progressing well and in line with long-term objectives. Milestone M2 has been achieved, while delays in M1 and M3 due to unforeseen circumstances were mitigated through a successful contingency plan, leading to strong results in amplifier array development. The creation of nanometer-sized Bose–Einstein cavities in silicon exceeded expectations, and results have been disseminated widely at conferences and through publications. MIR thus continues to deliver both high-impact scientific advances and industrially relevant technologies, reinforcing Norway’s position at the forefront of laser science and sustainable innovation.

The primary goal of MIR is development of advanced mid-infrared (mid-IR) fine laser material processing tools for 3D micro-structuring of advanced materials for fundamental science and green industry. These tools are based on power-scaling of the novel ultra-short pulsed mid-IR laser technology developed in two NFR projects in Nanomat and ENERGIX programs. The methodology from the newly granted SFI-Phys Met and UNLOCK projects will be used to provide the critical mass necessary for such large scale multidisciplinary international projects as MIR. Based on the proof-of-principles demonstrated in these projects and enhanced by interdisciplinarity and large scale format MIR will enable: - An ultra-precise, rapid (1 m/s) and user-friendly tool for 3D micro-fabrication in silicon, other semiconductors and novel composite materials for solar cells and Li-batteries - advanced and sustainable materials, such as kerf-less silicon wafers for photovoltaic applications, novel micro-structured battery materials, a variety of MEMs, an ultra-sensitive Si-detector for XUV - Si micro-structures for production and cooling of positronium in Si - a path towards Bose-Einstein (BEC) condensation of positronium and gamma-ray laser - 3D micro-structures to be used at CERN LHC collider for atomic interferometry for measuring local gravitational field or probing physics at the highest energy scales Besides the new horizons that ultrafine micro-structuring brings, the novel laser technology enables: - Table-top X-Ray source in water window for biomedicine - to understand chemical reactions on the atomic level - Ultra-sensitive real-time monitoring of pollutants, viruses, bacteria and early diagnostics of diseases and cancer - Theoretical model of the energy-harvesting mechanisms in laser-amplifier systems based on mode-area scaling and spatiotemporal dynamics on fs time scale - Photonic "metaphorical modeling" tool for studying BEC of positronium and positronium based gamma-ray laser