Group profile | Laser Lab

The Laser Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Málaga, is the research group of Prof. Javier Laserna. Established in 1987, the group specializes in laser processing and analysis of materials and develops solicited research projects from european, national and regional funding agencies. The group also offers quick-turn-around, cost-effective solutions to a variety of research and technical problems in diverse applications areas, including microelectronics, process monitoring technologies, environment, cultural heritage, steel products and processes, defense and security. The Laser Laboratory carries out well-planned research projects to investigate demanding customer-defined problems, conducts process studies in laser photoablation and other materials-radiation interaction phenomena, ionization processes and plasma diagnostics and provides all associated metrology capabilities, including atomic emission spectrometry, laser-ionization mass spectrometry, secondary-ionization mass spectrometry, time-resolved spectroscopy and an entire line of surface inspection and preparation techniques. The Central Research Facility of the University of Málaga supplies addtitional characterization technologies including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray microprobe analysis. The Laser Laboratory also designs and builds complete spectroanalytical systems to custom specifications, including compositional mapping systems, remote analysis instruments and portable/field deployable prototypes.

The Laser Laboratory utilizes its talented scientific staff and its extensive equipment resources to develop technical solutions to challenging problems. Available resources include large-area photo-ablation tools, ultrafast lasers, excimer, dye, nitrogen and other scientific and industrial lasers, spectral analysis instruments, mass spectrometers, imaging equipment, processing facilities, and software design tools for optical, mechanical engineering and chemical analysis applications. The Laser Laboratory has completed challenging programs for many companies and institutions, including Aceralia (Spain), Acerinox (Spain), ARL (Switzerland), Avantes (Netherlands), CNR (Italy), CORUS (United Kingdom), CRM (Belgium), Ekspla (Lithuania), FOI (Swedish Defence Research Agency), Ford (Spain), Gerdau (Spain), Guardia Civil (Spain), ILT (Germany), Indra (Spain), IRSID (France), Isofotón (Spain), ISQ (Portugal), Istituto Superiore di Sanitá (Italy), KIMAB (Sweden), MEFOS (Sweden), OCAS (Belgium), Saarstahl (Germany), Seat (Spain), Siemens-Matsushita (Spain), Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro (Italy), Technische Universitaet Dortmund (Germany), Technische Universitaet Wien (Austria), the Andalusian Institute for Cultural Heritage (Spain), Thyssen-Krupp Stahl (Germany), TUC (Germany) and Volvo Cars (Sweden).

The Laboratory is funded partially by the University of Málaga, by regional research programs from the Government of Andalucía, by researchs programs from the central Spain’s Administration and by the European Union through the R&TD Framework Program.