Around 200 B.C., the Greek mathematician Diocles invented the parabolic mirror and used it to focus light from the sun. Today, scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are using those same parabolic properties to focus a laser to intensities similar to the core of sun itself.
The Diocles Laser is the work of Dr. Donald Umstadter, who leads the UNL Extreme Light Laboratory. Diocles is an ultra-fast, high intensity laser, that produces a beam of very intense light for a very short amount of time-- 30 billionths of one millionth of a second. That's about three quadrillion times faster than the blink of an eye. These pulses produce pressures and temperatures never created before on Earth.
The Diocles project cost about $5 million and was funded by the NU Foundation and the Nebraska Research Initiative, a Legislative program founded by former Gov. Kay Orr in the 1980s. Dr. Umstadter has brought in more than $6 million in research grants, mostly from federal sources such as the National Science Foundation, said Monica Norby, assistant vice-chancellor for research.
The potential applications for Diocles are numerous. The Department of Homeland Security is funding a study to see if the laser can be used to detect nuclear material in shipping containers. The Department of Defense is funding research to detect cracks in the turbine blades used in jet engines. Dr. Umstadter holds patents to applications that would use the laser for cancer treatment and detection.
Diocles- a disruptive technology
Diocles is possible because advances in high field physics allow it to be small enough to fit in a room. The size of Diocles makes it a disruptive technology--a technology so revolutionary it changes everything.
"The first personal computer was a disruptive technology," said Norby. "You go from computers being a giant room full, and then all of a sudden you have a computer you can put on a desk."
Before Diocles, the only way to achieve similar intensities was with a synchrotron accelerator. One synchrotron accelerator is as big as UNL's campus and costs billions of dollars.
A visionary approach to the research
The ability to create conditions like the core of the sun is impressive, but the real value lies in the development of practical applications, according to Norby.
"The thing that sets great scientists like Dr. Umstadter apart is their visionary approach to the research," said Norby. "He can see potential applications that will have benefits for society."
That vision will allow lasers like Diocles to eventually be taken out of the laboratory and into the field.
Truck-mounted system will make laser portable
"We're looking at a truck-mounted system that could be ready in about three years," said Umstadter.
Once the lasers are truck-mounted, they can be taken to places such as ports where they will be used to detect nuclear material in shipping containers. Current detectors are so limited that the only way to accurately identify such material is to manually inspect the containers. Diocles is able to produce X-rays powerful enough to see through four-inch thick steel and recognize the hazard.
Umstadter said Diocles also has potential medical applications. Current X-rays can only detect tumors that are at least a millimeter across. The X-rays Diocles produces are capable of detecting much smaller tumors, making earlier detection possible. It may be possible to use Diocles to advance radiation technology. This will allow precise targeting of cancerous cells with less damage to surrounding, healthy cells.
To see a virtual tour of Diocles and the Extreme Light Laboratory go to: www.unl.edu/diocles/tour.shtml
