Laser applications in nuclear technology

Full text: Lasers are being increasingly used in nuclear industry because of their unique properties such as having large photon flux, short pulse duration, high spectral brightness, wide range of wavelength selection from visible to infrared, and coherence. Furthermore, they are capable of delivering precise quantity of energy to change the state of matter. With the help of optical fiber technology, applications in highly radioactive environments could also be carried out without sacrificing any of the laser properties. At Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, extensive developmental work has been undertaken to provide laser-based solutions to address several material processing issues in nuclear industry. These include development of suitable lasers for use in decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear reactors, material processing etc. Development of laser based instrumentation such as laser fluorimeter and density measurement station, which could be used as non-contacting diagnostic probes, had also been carried out at CAT. Laser fluorimeter for example, is a very sensitive analytical tool for determining concentration of trace elements particularly of actinides down to ppb levels and thus can find applications in nuclear and environmental fields. Some of these have been supplied to other Agencies. An attempt has been made in this talk to highlight the developmental work being carried out at CAT in the field of laser technology