UCLA · Laser-Driven Micro-Impact Platform

Designed and developed a table-top laser-driven micro-impact platform at GuptaLab (UCLA) capable of generating projectile velocities up to 4 km/s and strain rates approaching 10⁸ s⁻¹ — regimes inaccessible to conventional split-Hopkinson bar or gas-gun systems. The platform enables characterization of ultra-high strain-rate material behavior in multilayer thin-film coatings and bulk specimens under controlled impact loading.

The system architecture integrates a pulsed laser source, precision optical delivery, and a target-projectile assembly. Engineered multilayer thin-film coatings serve as the flyer material, with loading pulse durations of 8–24 nanoseconds calibrated through coating thickness and laser energy modulation. Structural damping elements integrated into the target mounting system attenuate more than 90% of post-impact vibration transmission, ensuring signal fidelity in optical diagnostic measurements.

Instrumentation spans velocity interferometry (VISAR/PDV), high-speed imaging, and strain gauge arrays for real-time impact characterization. The platform bridges a critical gap between quasi-static testing and shock physics facilities, enabling in-house validation of constitutive models at extreme strain rates relevant to protective coatings, microelectromechanical systems, and defense applications.