Optical component developer Optical Surfaces Ltd. has supplied the first of 10 high-performance beam expanders to the Thales Group for the Extreme Light Infrastructure for Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) project to develop the world’s most powerful laser system. Beam expander for ELI-NP project. Courtesy of Optical Surfaces Ltd. Offering an unprecedented level of power in ultrashort pulses, the two new 10-petawatt high-intensity lasers will be delivered to the Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics & Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) in Magurele, Romania. The €60 million ($60.35 million) contract awarded to Thales to develop the laser systems is the largest contract by a national research institute under a European-funded program. Due to be operational by 2018, the new lasers will pave the way for the development of a new generation of powerful particle accelerators, which will be smaller and less costly for fundamental research in material physics and medical applications, including proton beam therapy for treating cancer. “To be chosen as a supply partner for such a prestigious project is a great honor,” said Aris Kouris, sales manager for Optical Surfaces. Drawing upon many decades [of] experience in laser beam expander design and manufacture, we were able to deliver systems that provided the required high performance whilst maintaining cost competitiveness. In addition to improving beam collimation, beam expanders can be used to focus laser beams. By producing an expanded beam our systems are able to produce smaller laser spot sizes when used in combination with additional focusing optics. This is very useful in laser focusing optimization.” Optical Surfaces is a producer of optical components and beam expanders.