Martin Fermann Returns to Ultrafast Fiber Laser Pioneer IMRA
Ann Arbor, August 14, 2002—
IMRA America, Inc. today announced a major expansion of their Research Department at Corporate Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The international renowned fiber laser researcher, Dr. Martin Fermann, was recruited as the new Director for Laser Research. After getting his PhD from Southampton University in 1988, Martin Fermann worked as a Research Associate at the Technical University of Vienna, as Research Consultant at Bellcore, and from 1992 to 2001 as Researcher at IMRA America.
He returns to IMRA after a one-year period as CTO at Boston Laser, Inc.

“We are very pleased that Martin Fermann will be returning to IMRA” Tak Omitsu, President of IMRA America, said. “Martin is thoroughly familiar with IMRA’s technologies, he will support the ongoing leading fiber laser developments as well as guide IMRA’s research towards completely new photonics solutions. This will enable us to expand IMRA’s leading role as ultrafast fiber laser pioneer.”

IMRA’s research has been very successful by achieving world-leading results for highest output power and pulse energies with femtosecond fiber lasers. On the basis of the research results, award winning fiber laser systems were developed as the Femtolite A-70, which received the prestigious “Photonics Circle of Excellence Award 2001” in January of this year. Dr. Fermann was essentially involved in the research for this special laser.

With today’s reorganization, IMRA’s research will be structured into Laser Research (Director: Dr. Martin Fermann), Technology Acquisition (Director: Dr. Donald Harter) and the Application Research Laboratory (ARL) in Fremont, CA (Director and GM: Dr. Rajesh Patel).

About IMRA America
Founded in 1990, IMRA America, Inc. (Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a global acting company, dedicated to a leading edge position in the development of pulsed fiber laser technologies for commercial applications. IMRA’s turnkey fiber lasers with pulse durations from femtoseconds to nanoseconds, with ultracompact packaging, high stability and maintenance-free operation, are ideal optical pulse sources for telecommunication, material processing, semiconductor inspection and repair, instrumentation and medical diagnostics and therapy. They are based on IMRA’s proprietary fiber oscillator, fiber amplifier, and advanced pulse compressor technologies, which are documented in over 40 patent applications.

For more information, please contact:
IMRA America, Inc.
1044 Woodridge Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 930-2560
Fax: (734) 930-9957
e-mail: lasers@imra.com