- Heraeus Conamic is the leading-edge material specialist
- for the manufacturing and processing of the industry’s highest purity fused silica
- and other high-end materials such as ceramics and composites.
- We are your partner for tailor-made solutions in the future growth areas of
- semiconductor and photonics technology and beyond.
Industries and Products
Insights
What this year's Nobel Prize has to do with laser optics and fused silica
This year's Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to an international team of researchers who investigated new effects caused by the interaction of laser light with atoms in a gas. These effects can be used to generate extremely short light pulses. So-called attosecond light pulses open up exciting possibilities in basic research. They can be used to observe very fast movements of electrons and control chemical reactions, for example.
Fusion energy – from hype to reality
The annual International Day of Light dates back to the world's first successful use of lasers in 1960. Today, laser systems can be crucial for an important energy source of the future: nuclear fusion. Known as laser fusion, it achieved a breakthrough in December 2022: In an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the USA, it was possible for the first time to generate more fusion energy than was injected to heat the fusion fuel - thanks in part to fused silica optics from Heraeus Conamic. What does this break-even point mean for science and what will happen next?
Nuclear Fusion – An Alternative for Fossil Fuels
Due to the increasing energy demand of the earth, it becomes more and more important to create sustainable and renewable energy sources. To solve this, researchers are trying to bring the sun's energy generation process to Earth using nuclear fusion.
Closing the green energy gap with fusion power
The world's hunger for energy, especially for electricity, is growing. This trend is being driven by increasing electrification in transport, heating, and industry. According to a study by the World Energy Council (WEC), global electricity demand will increase by almost 150 percent by 2060 compared with 2015. This growth cannot be met with renewable energies alone. Nuclear fusion technologies have currently made important progress. This requires powerful lasers, for which Heraeus Conamic supplies high purity fused silica.
