The Ultrafast Rhythm

When people think of light, brightness usually comes to mind. But for us at UltraFast Innovations GmbH (UFI®), it’s all about shaping light with instruments and optical solutions for ultrashort laser pulses and experiments at the femto- and attosecond level. And just like every year, our curiosity drives us to be at the state-of-the-art in the field, bringing new solutions at this intersection of light and time.

Throughout the year, we had the opportunity to participate in eleven conferences across the globe. Some highlights included ‘Photonics West’ in San Francisco at the beginning of the year, ‘Laser World of Photonics’ in Munich, ‘ATTO’ in Lund, ‘UFO’ in the Azores, and ending the year at ‘Frontiers in Optics’ in Denver. Each stop gave us an opportunity to engage with scientists and engineers from around the world, gaining direct insights into the current research trends and sharing our latest developments.

Alongside these global appearances, we continued our efforts to push the boundaries of the field, introducing innovations in both our optics and devices departments.   The best examples in our coating department are the new UV dispersive mirrors. With an enhanced average reflectivity 20% greater than its predecessors and an exceptionally flat group delay dispersion, they make post-compression of the 3rd and 4th harmonics significantly more efficient.

In the devices department, we wanted to change the rules of the game. The pulse compression line, already established with our hollow-core fibres, is now completely flexible and tailored; with multipass cells, cascaded fibre systems, and all customisations to find the best solution to compress any laser system.

But UFI wouldn’t be UFI if work didn’t also leave room for small breaks. We make sure to have fun along the way. Alongside technical discussions and meetings, leisure activities found their place: a pickleball tournament – a mix of tennis and badminton – became a regular event at fairs and within the team, bringing together colleagues, partners, and visitors. Our charming mascot, Chirpy, accompanied us at conferences and events, spreading smiles wherever we went. Our team also reconnected during coffee and lunch breaks in our favourite new place – the rooftop.

Looking back at 2025, it’s clear that our passion for innovation remains our greatest motivation. UFI empowers us to do what we love, which is pushing boundaries, and turning ideas into reality. Let’s keep making a difference in the world of ultrafast science!

Dr. Veit Ziegelmaier