Nature-published principle
The underpinning principle, published in the Nature portfolio in 2020 in work linked to ANU, cuts discharge thresholds by about 30%.
Capability · Epcotec
Applied R&D
A dedicated R&D group industrialises optically-guided-discharge research into implementable systems, from feasibility to TRL-raise. Delivered by named senior engineers, fixed scope, staging from week one.
What we deliver
Scope, in plain terms.
Feasibility studies
Short, decisive studies that establish measured envelopes for optically-guided discharge in the target regime. Feasibility runs 4 to 8 weeks and ends in a go or no-go, not a slide deck.
Beamline and particle-replenishment design
Beam shaping and optical trapping are designed together with particle replenishment, so a run holds discharge guidance continuously rather than for single shots.
Characterisation harnesses and safety regime
Fixed measurement harnesses built around plasma diagnostics, paired with a written safety regime and interlocks. Characterisation is the first deliverable, never an afterthought.
Application tracks
Three tracks are maintained: deposition, sterilisation and static dissipation. A track is opened only after characterisation supports it.
TRL-raise programmes
Staged programmes that raise a capability from demonstration to industrial readiness, with defined measurement criteria at each technology readiness level.
R&D-to-engineering handover model
A defined model that hands systems over as implementable products: C++ real-time control loops, harnesses, procedures and operating limits, all documented and transferable.
Rough time estimate
Window: Feasibility 4-8 weeks; full TRL-raise programmes longer
Team: R&D co-leads (Gene and Ottie Pratt) + engineer
Complexity: L
Indicative only. A fixed price follows a free 30-minute scope review.
Get a fixed quoteDelivery process
Fixed scope. Weekly demos. Staging from week one.
Characterisation first
Every programme opens with characterisation, and application work comes second, every time. Plasma diagnostics establish the baseline before any application claim is made.
Parameter sweeps
Beam shaping, trapping geometry and discharge parameters are swept systematically, and results are recorded as measured envelopes.
Environmental validation
Candidate regimes are validated against target environmental conditions before any application track proceeds.
Safety interlocks
Interlocks and operating limits are fixed before hardware runs outside the laboratory envelope.
Engineering handover
Control ships as C++ real-time loops with documented procedures, so the engineering group can own and operate the system without the R&D team in the loop.
Benchmark deliveries
Proven in this discipline.
Industrialised repetition
Measurement harnesses convert single laboratory results into repeatable, characterised runs with recorded envelopes.
First client trials
Optically-guided discharge has moved from bench to first client trials across the deposition, sterilisation and static-dissipation tracks.
More evidence in the delivery history and the complete 734-engagement register.
FAQ
Asked before signing.
What is optically-guided discharge?
A shaped laser beam traps graphene microparticles in air. Discharge initiates along the trapped particle chain at a threshold about 30% below unguided discharge. The principle was published in the Nature portfolio in 2020, in work linked to the Australian National University.
How long is a feasibility study, and what does it conclude?
Feasibility runs 4 to 8 weeks. It ends in a measured envelope for the target regime and a go or no-go decision. Full TRL-raise programmes run longer and are scoped after feasibility.
What does TRL-raise mean in practice?
Staged movement from laboratory demonstration to industrial readiness. Each stage carries defined measurement criteria, characterisation harnesses and a written safety regime before the next stage opens.
What happens at engineering handover?
Systems transfer as implementable products: C++ real-time control loops, measurement harnesses, operating limits and procedures, all documented. The principle is treated as workflow rather than personal credit, so handover is complete and unambiguous.
Talk to the engineers.
No account managers. Your message lands with the people who would deliver it, and you get a straight answer within one business day.
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