Class 5 Photonics

Category 5 hurricanes are the most violent – which is a bit closer: "Class 5 Photonics" stands for lasers of the fifth class. And anyone who knows anything about lasers knows that there are actually only four classes of them! Class 1 includes lasers that are harmless when carefully used –  laser pointers, for example, which shouldn’t be aimed directly at the eyes. Class 4, on the other hand, includes lasers with so much energy that they can corrode eyes and skin, ignite flammables, and even cause explosions. Even their scattered light is dangerous! Such high-performance systems are used (under strict safety precautions) primarily in physics, chemistry, and biology research to study nature’s smallest details. "And we’re adding another level on top of that," says Michael Schulz. "Because today, more and more powerful lasers are needed, for the investigation of structures and movements in the nano range in particular," adds Robert Riedel.

Michael Schulz and Robert Riedel are two of the founders of Class 5 Photonics. They have made it their mission to equip research institutes with highly sophisticated laser systems – and to design them in such a way that they can also be safely operated by researchers from other fields. Six years ago, Schulz and Riedel were doctoral and post-doctoral students in a Helmholtz Young Investigator working group at DESY, which developed and operated these high-performance systems to carry out research projects, including on behalf of external companies and institutions. "Requests for our designs came so frequently that we had the idea of turning them into a business," Schulz recalls.

DESY enthusiastically welcomes projects such as these, in order to establish spin-offs based on research. Over the years, it has even built up an extensive infrastructure to support employees from within its own ranks as well as those from partner institutes who conduct research on the campus. The Innovation & Technology Transfer (ITT) department has a dedicated start-up office that collaborates with researchers to identify promising new developments, determine their marketing potential, help with patenting and legal issues, and provide valuable tips for setting up a company and a market entry strategy.

When Schulz and Riedel founded Class 5 Photonics in 2014, together with Franz Tavalla and Mark Pandolini, who now act as silent partners, they were among the first researchers to do so and they were supported by both DESY and the Helmholtz Institute Jena, where some of the researchers were based. "The advisory services were an enormous help because obviously we didn't know our way around in the beginning," says Riedel. "We also received funding from the Investitions- und Förderbank Hamburg (IFB) to develop our first prototype, and we took part in the Helmholtz Enterprise Program, which supports founders with scholarships. This made it much easier for us to leave the nest and concentrate on the further development of our products.” Initially, Riedel and Schulz shared an office on the DESY campus where they forged their plans, and a laboratory where they worked on their systems. Since then, the team has grown to ten employees and has three laboratories. "Our baby is growing and thriving," say the founders. The “baby” has long since been able to stand on its own two feet and to support itself from company turnover.

Class 5 Photonics develops laser systems that basically take film recordings of the examined objects or processes. The lasers shoot ultra-short pulses of only a few femtoseconds each (one femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second) onto a sample – which add up to tens of thousands to millions of pulses per second. This means that the image is exposed very often in the shortest possible sequence, resulting in an image sequence with extremely high temporal resolution. For comparison, a film on television only broadcasts 25 frames per second. "With our lasers researchers can, for example, observe the movements of biomolecules, for instance to find out how drugs work."

Initially, Class 5 Photonics specialized in physical and chemical research, the fields from which the founders came. Recently, however, they have been expanding their product range, which has a modular structure, to include bioimaging. "The driving force for this expansion was a professor who approached us a while ago. He wanted to be able to precisely follow how the neurons transmit signals in a mouse’s brain while the mouse does something specific," explains Riedel. "He needed an optical system with enormous performance capabilities, and we were the only ones who were able to provide it.”

Class 5 Photonics now also offers several systems for biological research and cooperates with a large laser company in this field. Individual components from this company are now integrated into the systems, and the company also shares advice about its extensive experience in sales in this market with Class 5 Photonics. "This is one of the most important insights we have gained from founding the company," said Riedel. "You have to look for strategic partners and you shouldn't be afraid to approach your colleagues and ask questions at trade fairs and events.” Other people have already solved many of the challenges that start-up companies face apart from product development – from warehousing to dealing with employees – and they’re usually willing to share their knowledge. “And if something doesn't work out or if people seem skeptical, don't be discouraged," adds Schulz. "You always have to see the opportunities that present themselves.” And often critical feedback is particularly helpful because it highlights areas that need to be improved.

At some point, the accolades will come. In the case of Class 5 Photonics, success came very early: in 2018, the company won the coveted PRISM AWARD in the laser category – the very first time they submitted an entry for the award. This is basically the Oscars of the laser industry. The employees entered the competition with a system that allows experiments to be carried out ten times faster than with conventional systems. "A completely new category of lasers – that really blew the jury away," says Riedel.

But the company founders aren’t resting on their laurels, and they’re always looking for new challenges. At the moment, for example, they’re working on expanding their range both in terms of breadth and also vertically: "We no longer want to just offer different laser systems – we’re looking to provide the experimental set-up for applications in various research fields," says Schulz.

And why do they keep their headquarters on the DESY campus during this period of rapid development? After all, DESY isn’t a shareholder since the company is completely independent. "The location here simply has many great advantages," says Riedel. "We can use the existing infrastructure, such as storage and laboratory facilities, we can exchange ideas with other experts in our fields and in related fields at any time, and, above all, we can find young scientists here who might want to join us when they’re finished with their studies. After all, we always need new, committed employees."

In the end, Schulz and Riedel routinely face one question again and again when they talk to lay people about their work: When can we expect a laser sword to finally be developed? They admit that they owe their enthusiasm for laser systems in part to Star Wars and other science fiction utopias in which laser technology often plays a major role, and the answer comes like a shot from a laser pistol: "We're working on it.”