The Optica Foundation today announced Michael Müller is the inaugural recipient of the Valentin Gapontsev Prize for Innovations in Fiber Lasers. Müller is recognized for developing groundbreaking high-power lasers that deliver intense bursts of light in extremely rapid succession. The delivery of high-average-power laser light will overcome important challenges in medicine, nanotechnology and environmental sensing. He will receive a US$20,000 prize to help further his research.
Müller has produced his groundbreaking work together with his team members during his PhD candidacy in the Institute of Applied Physics at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. There, he developed the world's most powerful ultrafast fiber lasers, achieving 10.4 kW of average power—five times greater than the record demonstrations of all other ultrafast laser technologies. In addition, Müller reports that theoretical investigations point to the potential for the technology to be scaled beyond 100 kW average power, which opens a possible path to ground-based orbital debris removal, a significant challenge to mankind.
“Michael’s achievement of an ultrafast fiber laser with 10.4 kW of average power demonstrates his outstanding experimental skills and deep knowledge of the field,” said Thomas Schreiber, chair of the 2024 Gapontsev Prize Selection Committee. “His work has redefined the state-of-the-art and remains the record-holding value for any ultrafast laser system. It is a pleasure to honor his important contributions to the field.”
In addition, Müller’s innovations in pulse compression and laser stabilization promise significant advancements in nanotechnology, biomedical research and environmental monitoring. He plans to use the prize to support this work and extend his efforts on carrier-envelope offset stabilized lasers. Müller believes these lasers could be ideal applications including the generation of soft X-ray high harmonics or precision spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint region. This development can create significant advances in nanotechnology (a better resolution from soft-X-ray diffraction imaging), biomedical research (breath detection), and environmental monitoring (PFAS, explosive, exhaust fumes).
“There’s no doubt that Michael’s research will continue to push the limits of ultrafast laser technologies,” said Igor Samartsev, Gapontsev Prize Selection Committee Member. “We couldn’t have picked a better candidate for the inaugural prize and are looking forward to seeing how he advances his work.”
Müller now is continuing his research activities at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. He is also becoming a co-founder of the startup RayVen, aiming at commercialization of the developed laser technologies.
The Gapontsev Prize for Innovations in Fiber Lasers was established in honor of Valentin Gapontsev's groundbreaking work, and it champions emerging researchers passionate about advancing fiber laser technology. By empowering early-career talent, it fosters the potential for groundbreaking innovations and real-world applications. Recognizing the critical role of innovative research, the prize underscores the importance of pushing the boundaries of fiber lasers, in line with Gapontsev's vision for technological advancement.
The Gapontsev Prize for Innovations in Fiber Lasers is endowed by the VPG Foundation. For more information, visit optica.org/GapontsevPrize.