The first years after independence were difficult: budget funding was cut sharply, the number of staff was almost halved, and there was no scope for additional project funding. However, after surviving the first few difficult years, new perspectives opened up. Cooperation agreements were signed with European and US research centres, and the Department's research projects were supported by the State Science and Studies Fund.
Among the first orders from foreign organisations in independent Lithuania we can mention: a stable picosecond glass laser for Aalborg University; an optical parametric amplifier for a femtosecond titanium sapphire laser for the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS) in Florence; second- and third-order correlators and autocorrelators for the Universities of Pavia and Lund, and for the Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching; large-aperture second- and third-harmonic generators for high-power femtosecond lasers at Lund University; research for the Boeing Company on the generation of high-power laser radiation in the visible domain for the evaluation of atmospheric distortions.
The Department's experience in laser and non-linear optics design was used in 1994 to found the first laser company to spin off from the Department, MGF Light Conversion. Its first products were optical parametric light amplifiers for femtosecond and picosecond TOPAS lasers and stable picosecond Twinkle glass lasers. In 20 years, the company has become one of the largest Lithuanian companies producing world-renowned products. These include the TOPAS, of which more than 1000 units are installed in many universities, research institutions and companies around the world, and the PHAROS femtosecond ytterbium laser, which serves both science and industry. Altechna UAB, the second laser company established in 1996, which spun off from the Department, is growing rapidly. It is involved in the development and production of laser components, special lasers, laser electronics and laser micromachining systems.
In 1999-2003, a unique coherent spectrophotometer was developed at the Laser Research Centre of Vilnius University within the framework of the NATO Science for Peace project "Laser spectrometer for testing of crystals and optical component coatings in a wide spectral and angular range", which enables ISO-compliant measurements of reflectance and transmittance, scattering and absorption losses, as well as the threshold of the laser-induced optical damage in a broad spectral region. The project directors were Prof. V. Sirutkaitis (VU) and Dr. R. Eckardt (Cleveland Crystals Inc.). The NATO grant for the project was EUR 888 thousand. The grant for the project was 888 LTL and was mainly used for the purchase of equipment. An additional contribution of 100 thousand EUR was received from the Lithuanian Science Council. A subsidy of 100 LTL was also provided. This project was an important criterion for the selection of the VU LTC on the list of science centres to be renovated under the joint project "Renovation of Science Centres 2001-2003" of the Ministry of National Defence (MoND) and the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). Within the framework of this project, the VU LTC received a total of EUR 4.1 million. LTL LTC. The LTL LTC was granted a total amount of EUR 3.7 million. For 7.7 million LTL, new equipment was purchased, including the first femtosecond titanium sapphire laser in Lithuania, and for 0.4 million LTL, the LTL LTL LTC was equipped with the first titanium sapphire laser in Lithuania. The laboratory premises were renovated for the first time. This support allowed for a major renovation of the LTC's scientific equipment and, to some extent, the laboratory infrastructure. The LTC equipment purchased with the funds was made available free of charge to the staff of other Lithuanian research institutions in accordance with the approved open access principles. This has helped the department's researchers to participate in European research programmes.
In 2001, the VU LTC gained the right to provide international access when the CEBIOLA project ("Cell Biology and Lasers: Towards New Technologies"; project budget - EUR 631 000), developed together with the VU Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, was awarded the status of an Exclusive Research Centre in the EU competition. At the time, it was the only Exceptional Science Centre in Lithuania among 34 others in EU candidate countries.
The reconstruction and renovation of the VU LTC building benefited from funds allocated by the MoES and MoD in 2000-2002, as well as from EU Structural Funds in 2005-2008. The support provided by the MoES and the MoES under the programme "Renovation of Scientific Centres" helped the LTC to become an associate member of the international EU network of laser centres LASERNET and, since 2004, a full member of the integrated European laboratory LASERLAB-EUROPE. Within the framework of the LASERLAB-EUROPE projects (currently LASERLAB-EUROPE III project), 82 EU researchers from Ireland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom visited the VU LTC in the period 2004-2014 to carry out 39 international projects, and to use the equipment of the VU LTC, which was rented out for ~ €1.3 million, for 480 days. LTL.
Opening of the newly renovated Laser Research Centre in 2002.From the left: the Vice-Rector of the VU Prof. J.V. J. Vaitkus, Minister of National Defence L. Linkevičius, Prime Minister A. Brazauskas, Prof. A.P. Piskarskas and KEK Affairs Manager L. Mikalauskienė
International access was also carried out between 2005 and 2008 under the EU Marie Curie sub-programme project ATLAS (38 months, 6 international projects, 6 PhD students or young foreign researchers). Another major international project, STELLA (2006-2009), was carried out under the Marie Curie Chairs sub-programme of the EU's 6th Framework Programme (FP6). Its aim was to create a European reference training centre where young researchers could acquire and share the most up-to-date and relevant knowledge on laser physics and non-linear optics. The project has successfully hosted 3 annual month-long summer schools on laser experiments for Lithuanian and international Masters and PhD students, where leading Lithuanian and international experts in laser physics have shared their experience. The STELLA project expanded the scientific activities and international cooperation of Vilnius University laser specialists. During the project, a science popularisation exhibition was organised, revealing to the general public the deep links between science and art.
In 2004-2008, four FP6 projects and five High Technology Support Programme (HTSP) projects were carried out by the Vilnius University LTC. In 2007-2008, the VU LTC was involved as coordinator or partner in seven new ATPP projects. Thus, new EU and NATO funded projects are continuously being won, cooperation with Lithuanian laser industry is expanding, the number of PhD students in the Department is increasing and the number of publications is growing.
Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 EU Structural Funds have helped to upgrade the infrastructure and equipment of teaching and research laboratories, modernise the Master's and PhD programmes.
Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 With the constantly rapidly growing needs of science and technology in laser research, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania decided to establish a modern complex "Naglis" in the "Sunrise Valley", which will be used for the development of new promising scientific fields, the development of laser technologies and the international access to both scientific and business organisations. The complex was built with funding from the EU Structural Funds' Growth Action Programme measure "Strengthening the General Infrastructure for Science and Studies" (VP2-1.1-ŠMM-04-V). The project has significantly strengthened Lithuania's position in EU research infrastructure networks and international R&D programmes (Laserlab-Europe and ELI - "Extreme Light Infrastructure"). The aim of these programmes is to create a scientific complex providing European and global scientists and industry with access to unique high-power laser radiation equipment, as well as a variety of secondary sources, for innovative research in high-field physics and cosmology.
The Naglis Open Access Complex is built on top of the ~730 m2 VU LTC superstructure. It houses four scientific laboratories (for parametric phenomena, high-intensity optics, laser nanophotonics and metrology experiments), which were designed from the outset with the need to maintain a constant temperature and cleanliness in mind. This is accompanied by workstations for the centre's staff, visiting researchers and students, as well as a spacious chemical preparation room. The complex will include basic and applied research, student training, and allow Lithuanian companies to test advanced laser technologies for their product development. The new laboratories of the Naglis complex are planned to develop the following scientific areas:
- Parametric phenomena, X-ray generation and attosecond physics. The laboratory has developed and deployed a multilevel parametric amplification system for the generation of terawatt-peak power pulses with a duration of less than 10 femtoseconds; a diagnostic complex for the study of non-linear phenomena and materials in the ultraviolet and X-ray spectral domains.
- Generation of terahertz radiation in gases. A high-power femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser system will be used to generate terahertz (and optical) band sources for nonlinear optics in gases with high damage thresholds.
- Laser nanophotonics. High power and broadly tunable laser sources will also be used for the rapid formation of derivatives requiring nanometre resolution. Such formations would have applications in micro-optics, micro-mechanics, photonics and biomedicine.
- Damage and absorption studies of optical elements. This will be carried out with high-energy laser sources tunable over a wide spectral range. Higher power radiation will allow the use of standard scattering and radiation recording techniques to identify optical damage and to perform such studies under vacuum conditions.
Department professors, staff, PhD students and students in front of the new Naglis Complex building in May 2014.
VU KEK and LTC staff members publish numerous scientific papers in prestigious international scientific publications, give presentations at international conferences, actively participate in international projects, and continuously expand their research areas. This confirms the scientific excellence and competence of VU KEK and LTC in the field of laser physics and laser technologies. In addition to the long-established Lithuanian laser companies Šviesos Konversijos and Altechnos, VU KEK and LTC staff and graduates have created Lidaris UAB in 2012 and Femtika UAB in 2013. Since 2013, VU KEK and LTC have been operating open access centres providing access to their equipment, which are used by the aforementioned and other Lithuanian companies. Graduates of the Department are successfully working in the world's most renowned research centres (Europe, USA, Japan), and the KEK and LRC staff are laureates of four Lithuanian Science Prizes and one Progress Prize. The Department balances basic and applied research and experimental development. At the same time, it hosts studies and trains highly qualified laser technology specialists.
During the 40 years of the Department's work, 457 graduates have graduated (242 graduates before 1995, 214 Masters graduates between 1996 and 2014), 67 doctoral and 7 habilitated doctoral theses have been defended, and 4 habilitation procedures have been conducted.
Thus, the VU Department of Quantum Electronics, the Laser Research Centre and the Naglis Open Access Complex:
- is the largest and strongest scientific unit in Lithuania, where research on laser physics, non-linear optical phenomena, laser spectroscopy, laser applications and laser technology development is carried out;
- the only one in Lithuania that trains Masters in laser physics and laser technology;
- the only one in Lithuania to provide international access to foreign research groups since 2001, allowing them to use the unique laser systems available.