On 17 April, Matas Plūkys successfully defended his PhD thesis titled “Microchip Lasers with Spatial- and Polarization-Filtering Metamirrors“. Supervisor – Prof. Dr Kęstutis Staliūnas, consultant – Dr Darius Gailevičius.
"Microchip lasers are tiny but powerful coherent light sources, yet their performance often degrades at higher power. In this work, we introduce specially engineered “meta-mirrors” that shape light directly inside the laser, acting as intelligent filters for direction and polarization. This allows the laser to produce a cleaner, brighter, and more stable beam, even under demanding conditions.
Experiments and modeling show significant improvements in beam quality, brightness, and polarization contrast. These results reveal a new way to enhance compact lasers – by structuring light at the nanoscale—opening possibilities for more efficient technologies in industry, medicine, and science," explains physicist Dr Plūkys.
We extend our warmest congratulations and wish him continued professional success in his contributions to Lithuania’s laser sector.