Launch of the SILABUS project

SILABUS stands for ‘Silicon Laser Processing with Bursts’ and was officially launched on 1 October 2024. The aim of the three-year project is the functional modification of silicon using temporarily shaped ultrashort laser pulses. This project combines the expertise of the IAP at the University of Jena and CELIA (CEntre Lasers Intenses et Applications) at the University of Bordeaux in France.

CELIA specialises in various areas of laser research, including laser-matter interaction, ultrashort laser pulses, plasma physics and the development of industrial applications. In addition, the institute has extensive experience in modelling and simulating physical processes caused by intense laser radiation. This makes CELIA a valuable partner in the SILABUS project, as its essential knowledge of laser technology and materials processing significantly enriches the expertise available at our institute.

By using ‘burst’ pulse sequences, which are characterised by short pulse-to-pulse delays, the researchers at both institutes expect cumulative effects in the silicon that cannot be achieved with conventional individual irradiation.

A team of three scientists from Jena, led by Prof Stefan Nolte, and six experts from Bordeaux, led by Prof Inka Manek-Hönninger, are working together on this exciting research project. The collaboration came about due to personal connections and shared experience in laser research. During the SILABUS project, fundamental experiments are being carried out in Jena with just a few pulses in order to improve energy deposition and subsequently functionalise silicon. At the same time, a model is being developed at CELIA to analyse the underlying mechanisms. In addition, burst experiments with numerous pulses per burst will also be carried out there to show that this area is suitable for industrial applications. In this way, not only will expertise and ideas be passed on, but also various techniques and instruments for the precise characterisation of the micromodifications produced in silicon.

Dr Maxime Chambonneau, who himself comes from France and now works in Prof. Nolte's research group in Jena, emphasises the importance of such international collaborations: ‘Science is not just a question of knowledge, but also of relationships. Through personal encounters and the exchange of ideas across national borders, we can gain new perspectives and usually develop better solutions to complex problems.’