ASP Online Seminars: Optical Materials for Mid-Wave to Long-Wave Infrared Laser Systems

Tuesday 14 Oct 2025, 13:00 → 14:30 UTC

Abstract:

The rapid growth of high-power mid- and long-wave infrared lasers (MWIR: 3–5 μm; LWIR: 8–12 μm) will be a frontier for unexplored research into new phenomena in the field of material science. Similar efforts are made by the laser and accelerator community mainly because of the favorable quadratic scaling of the ponderomotive energy with wavelength. This work examines the materials landscape from the point of view of the main characteristics, common applications, and where the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) remains the limiting factor. We compare the main optical properties of the transmissive workhorses (NaCl, KCl, BaF₂, ZnSe, and multispectral ZnS) and the major nonlinear crystals for frequency conversion into MWIR / LWIR (ZnGeP2, CdSiP2, AgGaS2 / AgGaSe2, OP-GaP / OP-GaAs, PPLN). We integrate key results from systematic studies on nonlinear optical properties, laser-induced damage thresholds, and post-compression of LWIR pulses, highlighting their implications for future applications in biomedicine, spectroscopy, and advanced laser technology in the fields of MWIR and LWIR.

 

Bio of the speaker:

Dr. Dismas Choge is a Research Associate in physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Accelerator Test Facility, where he focuses primarily on laser–material damage studies, and also serves as a lecturer in physics at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. He earned his PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and holds a master’s degree in Physics from Moi University in Kenya. His research expertise spans nonlinear optics, laser physics, ultrafast and high-intensity laser sources, light–matter interactions, and photonics, with applications including new-wavelength generation and laser-driven accelerator technologies. Dismas has been recognized through initiatives such as the Optica Foundation 20th Anniversary Challenge and contributes to the field via professional service—as a peer reviewer for journals like Optics Express and Optical Engineering. He is an active member of Optica (formerly OSA), SPIE, APS, and the Physics Society of Kenya, reflecting deep engagement with the international optics and physics communities.