Sydor Instruments Receives First Major Contract From French Atomic Energy Commission

ROCHESTER, N.Y.

Sydor Instruments, LLC today announced it has received its first commercial order from the French Atomic Energy Commission, CEA (Commissariat L’Energie Atomique) in Paris, France.

CEA scientists will use the Sydor ROSS 8200 Streak Camera on the LIL (Laser Integration Line) system at CESTA in Bordeaux, France to make critical laser measurements with unprecedented accuracy and precision.

“We are extremely pleased with this initial order from CEA,” says Pavia, President of Sydor Instruments, LLC in Rochester, NY.

“This demonstrates key support for the Sydor ROSS technology as an important platform instrument for next-generation fusion laser systems. CEA is a world leader in high energy research: we are very excited to have them as our first customer.”

The LMJ (Lasermegajoule) program in France is a 240 beam, high-power fusion laser system that will be used to demonstrate thermonuclear fusion, which is a clean, limitless energy source for the future.

“We’ve been collaborating with the CEA ever since we licensed the ROSS technology from the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), says Michael Pavia, president of Sydor Instruments.

“This order confirms the CEA’s confidence in our manufacturing process. It’s a real milestone for us,” Pavia continues, “Because it marks the successful completion of the technology transfer process from the LLE to Sydor, and also demonstrates the quality of our manufacturing.”

The LMJ will use the ROSS 8200 camera for beam synchronization, temporal pulse analysis, and shock breakout experiments. The camera is expected to ship in late 2005. The facility is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

The ROSS 8200 Streak Camera takes light from very brief events and turns it into data rather than an actual picture. The ROSS Camera records how tiny pellets of fusion fuel react when they are hit with different laser speeds and energies. This high-speed “snapshot” occurs in less than a billionth of a