In future, fusion power plants are to provide safe, climate-neutral energy around the clock. To this end, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched the "Fusion 2040 - Research on the way to fusion power plants" funding program. In the recently launched DioHELIOS project, a broad consortium from industry and research is developing new approaches for the design and mass production of high-power diode lasers.
The basic components of the diode laser pump modules are tiny diode laser bars. The picture shows such a bar in size comparison - (Photo: Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik)
Diode laser pump modules are a key component of the high-energy lasers that will be used to compress and ignite plasma in inertial confinement fusion power plants in the future. Their basic building blocks are tiny diode laser bars, customized pump modules developed specifically for the requirements of inertial confinement fusion. Surface technology processes such as sputtering are also used in their production.
