U.Va. Host to International Conference on Laser Technologies
Posted 09/21/06
From left to right, Aaron Peled (Holon Academic Institute of Technology, Israel), Luca Cultrera (National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy), Armando Luches (University of Lecce, Italy), Jörg Hermann (LP3 - CNRS, France), Fernande Ngaf (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa), and Anna Paola Caricato (University of Lecce, Italy) are relaxing during a poster session.
Photo courtesy of Leonid Zhigilei
Lasers are now commonly used to perform a variety of delicate procedures that often would not be possible by any other means. Well-established laser applications include the cutting and removal of biological tissue in laser surgery, detection and mass-analysis of biomolecules, surface modification and thin film deposition. The capabilities of laser technologies are rapidly expanding into new areas with the assistance of nanotechnology. The latest possibilities include the microfabrication of optoelectronic devices, restoration of painted artworks, and the design of laser plasma thrusters for microsatellites.
Experts from all over the world converged in Charlottesville in early September to discuss new developments as well as the current state of laser technologies at the 5th International Conference on Photo-Excited Processes and Applications (ICPEPA-5).
The inaugural ICPEPA conference took place in 1993 in Sendai, Japan. Since then, meetings have occurred in Israel, France and Italy. ICPEPA has provided an opportunity for investigators in experimental, theoretical, and computational research in the general area of photon-assisted material processing to come together to network, share current studies, and forge potential collaborations.
ICPEPA-5 was a truly international event, attracting 55% of its attendees from outside of the U.S. Participants traveled from twenty different countries including Japan, South Africa, Romania, and Lithuania to attend.
The five-day event took place at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel and included an excursion to Monticello and Barboursville Vineyards. The conference included oral presentations and poster sessions on a wide variety of topics, from “laser interactions with molecular systems and biological tissue” to “micro and nanofabrication and patterning.”
Among the attendees of ICPEPA-5 were Rangaswamy Srinivasan, developer of the widely used LASIK method of eye surgery, and Sergei Anisimov of the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics in Russia, one of the founders of the current theory of laser-materials interactions. Srinivasan chaired a session of the conference on laser interactions with molecular systems and biological tissue, whereas Anisimov chaired a session on fundamentals of laser materials interactions.
Leonid Zhigilei, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at U.Va., served as chairman for ICPEPA-5. He commented on the importance of such a conference occurring at U.Va. “Laser-materials interactions is an area of active growth at the University of Virginia and the decision by the ICPEPA International Organizing Committee to bring the ICPEPA meeting to Charlottesville is a reflection of an increasing international recognition of the high level of our research activities. Hosting a major international meeting provided us with opportunities to establish new research collaborations and helped us to make a step towards developing the area of laser-matter interactions into an area of strength at the University of Virginia.” says Zhigilei.
The conference was sponsored by the University of Virginia (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, NanoQuEST Institute, and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies); National Science Foundation (Thermal Transport and Thermal Processes Program, Materials Processing and Manufacturing Program); U.S. Office of Naval Research Global; and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
