ORC Invests in FAST Lab

SOUTHAMPTON, U.K. -- The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton is investing approximately £300k into its Femtosecond Applications of Science and Technology (FAST) lab over the next few months. The multi user facility, which allows a variety of ultra-fast experiments to be performed, will benefit from new facilities and equipment.

The FAST lab opened in 2004 at a cost of £1.1m, providing the most comprehensive and flexible commercial ultra-fast laser system in the world. Now four years on, additional funding is available to purchase new equipment for the lab, and enable researchers to explore new areas of research.

Planned improvements include creating between two and three separate work areas, allowing researchers to work simultaneously, and facilities for Terahertz measurements, pump-probe spectroscopy, and non-linear microscopy. Facilities for work with biological samples will also be significantly enhanced and will help to expand the biophotonics work carried out by the Centre’s research team.

“This is a really exciting time for us: the investment into the lab will allow us to move into new areas and new collaborations, and open up external funding opportunities,” said Dr Bill Brocklesby, a Reader at the ORC.

FAST lab manager, Dr David Banks, said: "Thanks to this funding, we will now be able to better exploit the capabilities of the FAST lab laser system. Alongside partitioning of the lab into separate working areas, so that we can finally realise the multi-user femtosecond facility that has long been called for, a number of new resources will be added."

Optoelectronics Research Centre of the University of Southampton