Laser Thermal Analysis (LTA) is pushing the cutting edge of laser based thermal measurement technology. With over 20 years of experience in laser based pump-probe measurements for the interrogation of thermal properties, LTA stands ready to meet the demands of materials characterization as they push to ever smaller scales.
Pushing the limits of measurement technology using fiber optic integrated systems allows LTA to provide a safe, user-friendly tool capable of high throughput thermal conductivity measurements. We look forward to working with you to determine if LTA’s technologies are a match for your thermal testing needs.
Our Team
John Gaskins
As co-founder and President of Laser Thermal Analysis, John has conducted research characterizing the mechanical, optical and thermal properties of materials since 2005.
John received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2013. His work developed methodologies for testing the size dependent properties in thin film structures. After his Ph.D. John joined Patrick Hopkins’ group extending his Ph.D. work focused on mechanical property characterization to optical and thermal properties.
John’s is leading LTA’s development of SSTR-F to provide accessible small-scale thermal conductivity measurements to industrial and academic partners.
Patrick Hopkins
Co-founder and Vice-President of Laser Thermal Analysis and a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia, Patrick has been involved in research related to thermophysical measurements of materials, and optical testing of material since 2002.
Patrick received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2008. His dissertation research was focused on developed pulsed laser-based diagnostics to measure reflectivity, temperature and energy transfer in solid materials. After his Ph.D., Patrick was one of two researchers in the nation to receive a Truman Fellowship from Sandia National Laboratories. Under this Fellowship, Patrick worked at Sandia in Albuquerque, NM from 2008 – 2011 developing novel optical reflectivity and transmissivity-based diagnostics to measure temperature and thermophysical processes in solid nanosystems and across interfaces adjacent to solids and liquids.
Upon returning to UVa in 2011 as a professor, Patrick was subsequently promoted to Associate professor in 2015 and full professor in 2018. Patrick’s current research interests are in optical interactions with matter, experimental quantification of non-linear optical absorption in materials in relation to defect, porosity, impurity, and degradation processes, and measurements of thermophysical processes in condensed matter, soft materials, liquids, vapors and their interfaces in extreme environments. His expertise includes various optical thermometry-based experiments to measure the optical properties, non-linear absorption, thermal conductivity, thermal boundary conductance, thermal accommodation, strain propagation and sound speed, and electron, phonon, and vibrational scattering mechanisms in a wide array of bulk materials and nanosystems.