The Company
BRL LASER DAMAGE Ltd (BRL) is globally, the only totally independently funded laser-damage test house. We have been independently validated for laser damage testing. BRL provides everything from threshold determination (Laser Induced Damage Threshold - LIDT) to longevity assessment. We routinely test a vast range of coatings, primarily for laser manufacture. Our labs provide the required QA in high performance coating technologies for the laser industry. Our core services are pass/fail certification and full threshold determination. Ever increasing materials' performance is the development frontier of the laser industry which is growing and advancing faster than most.
Our results for LIDT make use of graphical analysis, which is more difficult to achieve but much more informative than least fluence methods. Graphical analysis gives information about the quality, uniformity and viability of the coating under test; so much more than just a number.
Our commercial experience in high tech-materials gives BRL insight into production requirements. We have successfully completed R&D projects and are aware of confidentiality concerns; please take a look at our preferred NDA.
Company Number SC823345
VAT Reg. No.491 0517 01
ISO 9001:2015 Certificate Number: 10691-QMS-001
Experience
Since being validated for laser damage technical ability in June 2012, BRL has grown in capability and reputation. We now work with the best and most progressive coaters in Europe and Asia.
Please see our extensive research and patent publications detailed in the R&D section.
Two SMART awards gave us access to a source of wavelengths ranging from 355 nm to 1600 nm. The second gave us the opportunity to test out an alternative test method for 2 & 3-micron laser damage. This is the range where -OH resonance frequencies accelerate damage and lower the threshold from what would be expected.
Back to topThe Team
Our highly qualified and experienced team is here to offer our expertise to bring you the highest quality service.
Professor Stuart Reid (CEO)
Stuart is an experimental physicist with over 20 years’ experience working across materials science, photonics, quantum technologies and regenerative medicine – working in the innovation space between industry, academia and the health service. He is the Founder and Director of the Extreme Performance Optical Coatings testbed hosted within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). He is also the Co-Director of the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment based between the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. In 2016 he was awarded the Royal Society President’s Medal for contributions to the detection of gravitational waves. In 2017 he was awarded the Royal Society’s Wolfson Research Merit award. His discovery of using nanovibration to control stem cell behaviour (“nanokicking”) was awarded the top research awards by both the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and in the Herald Scotland Awards in 2017. He has co-authored over 200 journal articles with over 145,000 citations (h-Index 142). Stuart is passionate about BRL’s key role in providing the UK photonics sector with world-leading and reliable laser damage testing/certification – enabling effective and robust supply chains in this critical sector.
Dr. Mariela Masso Reid (CFO)
Mariela is an experienced experimental physicist and project manager within national and international research collaborations. She successfully completed her PhD from the University of Glasgow in 2019, carrying out the first thermal conductivity assessments down to 10K of bonded silicon components using hydroxide catalysis bonding. She has acted as project manager for several UKRI-STFC funded partnerships between the UK, India and China – with a key focus on fostering partnerships between industry and academia. Her work in science communication saw her book be selected as one of the 13 best children’s pop-up books in 2022 by Book Riot. Mariela’s contributions to the international field of gravitational wave astronomy led to her sharing the 2016 Gruber Cosmology Prize and 2016 Breakthrough Foundation Prize in Fundamental Physics.
Mr Andrew Ritchie (Facilities Manager)
Andrew is the BRL Facilities Manager with strong expertise in developing and deploying highly reliable laser damage testing protocols for the UK's photonics sector. He holds a B.Sc. in Astrophysics from the University of St Andrews and an M.Sc. in Informatics from the University of Edinburgh. At BRL, he has developed custom in-house software which is used during our test procedures and developed new interfaces with our standard and bespoke sensors. These real-time measurements are integrated into the established platforms which control data from a disparate array of optical sensors, enabling high level system integration within the various LIDT test beds.
Mr Jamie Lynn (Optical Test Physicist)
Jamie has recently graduated from Herriot Watt University with a B.Sc. in Physics (top of class 2025). He is an Optical Test Physicist and is responsible to helping and leading in the various LIDT tests which are carried out here at BRL.
Dr. Rona Belford (Consultant)
Dr. Belford graduated with a 1st Class Hons and PhD in the field of physical electronics at The University of Edinburgh. She was the final year prize winner and won the International Prize for Innovative Devices from the Society for Hybrid Microelectronics. She gained the RSE research scholarship for research into the behaviour of ions in amorphous materials. Lecturing in physical electronics at Edinburgh, she ran an active research group. The main area of study was that of amorphous semiconductors, specialising in electronic and optical sensors. Working in the USA she headed a research team developing laser materials which are now in production. She initiated and directed research into strained-Si technology with Edinburgh University. Rona founded Belford Research Inc. to investigate different routes to strained semiconductors which enhance both conductivity and optical properties. In 2011, she returned to the UK and set up BRL labs at Eskbank. She remains actively involved in the mentoring of staff and in commercial support, as a specialised consultant.