Brightest Light Initiative Workshop at the OSA headquarters on March 27-29, 2019

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides NSF support for the 2019 Brightest Light Initiative (BLI) Path-Forward Workshop to be held at the Optical Society headquarters in Washington, DC on March 27-29, 2019. The workshop will be organized in two tracks to define (1) the scientific research needs for intense ultrafast lasers emphasizing parameters beyond the current state of the art in areas critical to frontier science, and (2) the technology research needs to realize these parameters, including peak power, repetition rate, pulse duration, wavelength, and focusable intensity. A workshop report will summarize the findings of the workshop and recommend a path forward on a roadmap for action. This workshop will aim to: (i) Articulate a community response to the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light; (ii) Identify compelling science, fundamental and applied research opportunities constituting priority research directions that exploit high-intensity lasers leading to high impact over the next decade and beyond; (iii) Define new and upgraded facility and laser capabilities that will enable compelling science, emphasizing parameters beyond the current state of the art; and (iv) Identify laser research and development to realize both ultra-high intensities for basic research and high repetition rates, as well as high-average powers needed for applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.