A new infrared super continuum laser has received the 2012 Pasteur Award because it is expected to aid cancer research, disease identification and food safety.
The super continuum laser, called the IR SuperK, is capable of emitting infrared light between 100,000 and one million times more powerful than conventional infrared light sources. The powerful light can be used in areas such as oncology, virus identification and agricultural hygiene.
‘I am extremely proud to receive this honour. It is a symbol of the positive and constructive collaboration we have had on this project with the universities and the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation,’ said NKT Photonics' project manager Lasse Leick. ‘For me the greatest pleasure lies in inventing new technology, applying it to a concrete project and seeing it used in the market. We have managed to achieve this with this project.’
Leick was involved in the three-year research project that culminated in the IR SuperK laser. The laser was developed in partnership with Aarhus University and the Technical University of Denmark and the project was part-funded by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation.
