Class 5 Photonics, a spin-off from Helmholtz-Institut Jena and from Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY specialized in high-performance laser technology, is the proud winner of the PRISM AWARDS 2018 in the category lasers. SuperNova OPCPA is the Class 5 Photonics flagship product, which took the trophy home. The SuperNova OPCPA enables researchers to perform experiments ten times faster than with conventional lasers.
“We are delighted to win this prestigious award and being recognized as the premier laser technology partner for the most advanced R&D labs and institutions worldwide,” said Class 5 Photonics CEO and co-founder Robert Riedel. “With our products we aim to enable cutting-edge research to gain new insights in processes, building blocks and interactions in physics, chemistry and bio sciences.”
The PRISM AWARDS are the premier worldwide event in the photonics industry and awarded annually during the SPIE Photonics West conference and tradeshow in San Francisco. More than 150 applicants entered the competition in ten categories this year. With its high-performance laser SuperNova OPCPA Class 5 Photonics convinced the jury.
The spin-off company was founded in 2014 in Hamburg. The scientists from Helmholtz Institute Jena and DESY are developing high power lasers with pulses in the femtosecond range. One femtosecond is a quadrillionth of a second. Shorter laser pulses allow more precise working of materials, for instance. Also, such short laser pulses open up new innovative applications like 3D nanostructuring. For science, the technology is of great importance.