June 2009 Archives

Products and announcements from Wavelength Electronics, NKT Photonics, Femtolasers Produktions and JENOPTIK Polymer Systems.

Temperature controller
The new PTC-CH Series temperature controller offers high-precision control and stability in a compact, chassis-mount package, claims Wavelength Electronics (Bozeman, MT). Designed to operate with the PLD-CH Series laser-diode drivers, the PTC-CH supports thermoelectric and resistive-heater operation with all sensor types. It provides user-configurable temperature setpoint and a TTL-compatible remote disable. With current up to 20 A, better than 1 mV accuracy and temperature stability across ambient of better than 1.4 mK, the PTC-CH Series is said to be ideal for applications such as electro-optical systems, benchtop inspection instruments and medical diagnostic equipment.
www.teamwavelength.com

Benchtop fibre lasers
NKT Photonics, the result of a merger between Danish vendors Koheras and Crystal Fibre, is to introduce a new version of its AdjustiK and BoostiK series of fully integrated DFB fibre-laser benchtop systems. The optical design is based upon the third-generation KOHERAS BasiK laser engine, featuring a digital control interface and power upgrade feature. Target markets are any R&D and scientific applications that require high frequency stability and low-noise operation. The fibre lasers are offered at custom specified wavelengths within the C- and L-bands as well as within the 1.03-1.12 micron wavelength range. The AdjustiK series provides up to 200 mW of optical output power; the BoostiK series up to 1 W.
www.nktphotonics.com

Ultrabroadband light source
The new INTEGRAL OCT light source supports ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT), providing an ultrabroad bandwidth to reach sub-2 microns in axial resolution as well as ample power for ultrahigh-speed scanning. That's the claim of Femtolasers Produktions, Austria. Applications include 3D imaging, spectroscopic and polarization-sensitive OCT, imaging of individual cells and subcellular structures, as well as non-destructive quality control. Specifications include: output power (ex fibre) >40 mW; centre wavelength of 800 nm; and bandwidth at 3 dB >150 nm.
www.femtolasers.com

Micro-optics for micro projection
JENOPTIK Polymer Systems, Germany, and MEMS Optical (also part of the JENOPTIK group) will be presenting a double-sided microlens in plastic that's compatible with series production. A double-sided microlens array enables homogenization of laser sources as well as beam guidance in laser projection systems. The new product is a response to increasing demand for micro projectors in consumer applications such as laptop computers and mobile phones. "Injection-moulding technology allows for joining design mounting and alignment features as an integral part of the optical component to aid in packaging and system assembly," says JENOPTIK.
www.jenoptik-ps.de

Products and announcements from Gooch & Housego, ES Technology, Kylia and Holo/Or.

Multimode pump combiners
Gooch & Housego, UK, will launch a range of low-port-count, multimode pump combiners with a signal feed through fibre - a format commonly referred to as a (2+1)x1. Fibre-laser systems incorporating the (2+1)x1 are becoming more common as diode pump powers increase. They are already established as the signal/pump combiner in high-power fibre amplifiers for cable TV distribution. The (2+1)x1 is available as standard at centre wavelengths of 1064 and 1550 nm, with both polarization-maintaining and singlemode feed-through fibres. Signal performance is essentially wavelength-independent over the C-band for 1550 nm devices and over a 60 nm range for the 1064 nm devices. Other options are available upon request, including combiners with large-mode-area signal fibre.
www.goochandhousego.com

Industrial fibre laser
The es CODE is a ytterbium fibre laser designed with a range of industrial applications in mind - marking, coding, thermoplastics welding, thin cutting, engraving and surface treatment. Developed by ES Technology, France, the laser comes in two versions: the es CODE 300 (30 W output power) and the es CODE 100 (10 W). According to ES, the compact scan head (215x60x75 mm) and lightweight design (800 g) make the system "a convenient tool for production-line professionals". Specifications include a marking field of 100x100 mm (standard); marking speed of 600 characters/s (character height 1 mm); and a spot diameter of 49 or 52 microns.
www.eslaser.com

Dual-polarization optical hybrid
Kylia, France, will unveil a package dedicated to OEM deployment for its dual-polarization optical hybrid. The hybrid extracts phase and amplitude from a single-polarization signal by performing four 90° phase-stepped interferences between the signal and a local oscillator. The optical hybrid plugs into balanced photodiodes. Kylia is now working on integrating the photodiodes into a single package, with cost, fibre management and reduced footprint the main targets of the project.
www.kylia.com

High-uniformity homogenizers
Holo/Or, Israel, will feature its new series of HM5 high-uniformity homogenizers. The products, which are made from pure fused silica, are available in various diffusion angles and sizes. Popular versions include a 2x2 degrees diffusion angle for 1064 nm and a 1x1 degree diffusion angle for 532 nm. Other features include high transmission efficiency (~99%); high diffraction efficiency (~75%); high damage threshold; insensitivity to misalignment; and compatibility with single- and multimode lasers.
www.holoor.com

Products and announcements from B&W Tek, APE, Mobius Photonics and Axetris.

Violet/blue lasers
The BWB series of thermoelectric-cooled, solid-state violet/blue lasers will be featured by B&W Tek (Newark, DE). The 405 nm singlemode sources operate over the 10 to 35 °C temperature range with stable 40 and 80 mW continuous power. B&W says that the "excellent mode quality and low divergence make the lasers suitable for beam focusing as well as long-distance beam positioning". The compact power supply can be easily integrated into the OEM version for applications such as spectroscopy, metrology, wafer inspection and micro-materials processing.
www.bwtek.com

Frequency converters
The HarmoniXX series of frequency converters for mode-locked ultrafast lasers will be featured by Angewandte Physik & Elektronik (APE), Germany. Frequency doubling, tripling and quadrupling are covered via a modularly structured system. With quick-release optics, HarmoniXX devices are applicable for a wide pulse duration range - from femtoseconds to several tens of picoseconds. APE claims that the new products are "optimized for highest conversion efficiency at various laser power levels as well as minimum pulse broadening". An Autotracker option is offered for use in combination with automatic, PC-controlled laser systems.
www.ape-berlin.com

Multiwavelength fibre laser
The G1+ Laser System from Mobius Photonics (Santa Clara, CA) is a fibre-based light source configurable for 30 W IR, 18 W green and 10 W UV, with pulse widths as short as 2 ns and repetition rates up to 1 MHz. Those specifications, available in a diffraction-limited beam, "open new opportunities for companies specializing in micromachining, materials processing and precision manufacturing", says Mobius. Mobius product are based on a pulsed master-oscillator, fibre-power-amplifier (MOFPA) architecture.
www.mobiusphotonics.com

Microlens arrays
The Axetris Division of Leister Process Technologies, Switzerland, will present its portfolio of diffractive and refractive microlenses and microlens arrays at LASER 2009. The refractive microlenses are suitable for a range of applications, among them collimation of high-power diode-laser bars for materials processing, diode-laser pumping and beam homogenization in lithography and biomedical instrumentation. Diffraction gratings and microlens arrays are ideally suited for optical beam splitting and shaping and find applications in optical sensors, metrology and spectroscopy. Axetris also offers MEMS contract services (e.g. deposition of metals, etching, dicing, etc).
www.leister.com/axetris

Products and announcements from InnoLight, LOTIS TII, Omicron and tec5.

DPSS lasers
InnoLight will feature a new diode-pumped solid-state laser for scientific applications like optical trapping, high-precision metrology and nonlinear optics. According to the German manufacturer, the 1064 nm source (35 W output) is characterized by "outstanding low amplitude and frequency noise, resulting from a rugged monolithic non-planar ring oscillator combined with superior amplifier technology". The InnoLight booth will also feature two new lasers for industrial OEM applications: a 200 mW CW 515 nm laser and a high-peak-power Q-switched IR laser (emitting around 1 micron).
www.innolight.de

Nd:YAG laser
The LS-2147A from LOTIS TII, Belarus, is a compact, high-power Nd:YAG laser that consists of two independent modules: oscillator and power amplifier. According to the vendor, the design of the pump chambers suppresses undesired parasitic superluminescence oscillations that limit output energy. In addition, the laser has a built-in second harmonic and is supplied with external third-, fourth- and fifth-harmonics units. The high-energy UV output is listed as 300 mJ at 355 nm; 200 mJ at 266 nm; and 45 mJ at 213 nm.
www.lotis-tii.com

High-performance diode lasers
Omicron, Germany, says that its PhoxX diode-laser modules offer high-stability CW operation as well as fast analogue and digital modulation and an electronic-shutter function. The lasers are available in 14 wavelength options between 375 and 830 nm and with optical output powers up to 140 mW (643 nm). Omicron claims that its proprietary beam-shaping optics with astigmatism correction ensure excellent focal quality, high fibre-coupling efficiency and good beam-pointing stability.
www.omicron-laser.de

Interface electronics for spectroscopy
tec5, Germany, will be featuring its range of high-performance modular electronics for operation of photodiode arrays and spectral sensors. The components are suitable for arrays manufactured in NMOS, CCD and InGaAs technologies and can be used in the UV, visible and near-IR wavelength ranges. In addition to OEM electronics, technologies developed by tec5 are also available as integrated spectrometer modules in compact housings or as complete spectrometer systems. Hardware components are supported by the application software MultiSpec Pro. In addition, several software development kits are offered for customer programming.
www.tec5.com

Fianium, the UK-headquartered manufacturer of fibre-laser systems, has opened a micro-materials processing applications laboratory in the US. The company will use the new centre to position its ultrafast fibre lasers as alternatives to conventional diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) sources.

Based in Portland, Oregon, the lab will enable Fianium to work closely with OEMs to test material samples and highlight the processing results attainable with its range of picosecond fibre-laser systems.

Project work will cover a diverse range of materials, including polymers, glasses, organic tissue and reflective metals - all of which have traditionally proven difficult to process using DPSS sources.

Fianium has partnered with photonics engineering services provider Summit Photonics, led by Brian Baird, to create the new facility.

"The new applications lab combines Fianium's expertise with that of Summit Photonics to offer laser users in industrial markets the unequivocal proof that they can complete specific tasks quicker, better and more cost-effectively via our ultrafast picosecond and femtosecond fibre-laser products," commented Fianium CEO Anatoly Grudinin. "I'm a firm believer that we're currently only scratching the surface in terms of ultrafast lasers' potential."

Fianium will be exhibiting at LASER in Hall C1, booth 522.

Products and announcements from KLASTECH, Photonics Industries and 3S Photonics.

CW ruby laser
KLASTECH, Germany, will be exhibiting what it claims is the industry's first CW diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) ruby laser. Dubbed the CRESCENDO, the laser utilizes the company's proprietary approach for pumping the ruby crystal and the same DENICAFC "double-enhanced laser technology" common to other lasers in the KLASTECH range. "This laser for the first time not only provides a ruby-based CW source, but also offers the first single-frequency, ultralow-noise DPSS laser in the visible red region of the spectrum, opening up new possibilities to researchers in biophysics and DNA sequencing," says KLASTECH. The CRESCENDO is available initially in 100 mW and 150 mW versions, with plans to increase its power output to 500 mW in the near future.
www.klastech.de

Diode-pumped picosecond lasers
Photonics Industries (Bohemia, NY) says that its RG Series diode-pumped picosecond lasers produce over 3 mJ per pulse at 1 kHz, and more than 10 W at 10 kHz at 1064 nm with ~15 ps nominal pulse widths - all while still maintaining TEM00 mode quality in a compact, industrial-grade package. Higher-power versions (25 W and 40 W at 10 kHz) or higher-pulse-energy formats (5 mJ/pulse and 7 mJ/pulse at 1 kHz) are also available. Harmonic outputs such as 532 nm, 355 nm, 266 nm and 213 nm can be ordered as needed. According to the vendor, "high-pulse-energy picosecond laser pulses with good beam quality can competitively machine thicker materials or materials with feature sizes of ~1 mm. Such mesoscale laser processing with less heat-affected zone is proving in for a myriad of novel applications on materials such as metals and ceramics."
www.photonix.com

1064 nm pump module
3S Photonics, France, will use LASER 2009 to unveil its first product for non-telecoms applications. The 1064 nm singlemode pump-laser module, the 1064 CHP, is designed for integration into industrial fibre-laser systems used in micromachining applications. Features include output power up to 400 mW at 850 mA and peak power up to 1W; a low-profile hermetically sealed 14-pin butterfly package with polarization-maintaining fibre pigtail; integrated thermoelectric cooler, thermistor and back-facet monitor photodiode; operating temperature range from -5 to +75 °C; and operating wavelength range from 1050-1070 nm. Users can choose from two options: a fibre Bragg grating version for wavelength stabilization and a "High PER" format with polarization extinction ratio exceeding 20 dB.
www.3Sphotonics.com

Despite the unfavourable economic conditions, the International Conference on Lasers in Manufacturing (LiM) 2009, which is being held as a part of the World of Photonics Congress, will be busier than ever, according to the organizers.

Almost 200 presentations will feature the latest results in this field, and LiM general chair Andreas Ostendorf is convinced that the event will set important milestones in the future direction of laser materials processing.

Keynote presentations at LiM 2009 will focus on new laser processes in the fields of nanotechnology and material modifications, along with the latest developments from TRUMPF.

Further invited presentations over the four-day conference will address two topics: high-power laser applications in macro processing, and ultraprecise micro/nanoprocessing developments. In addition, the final results of the Fuelas project investigating laser-guided arc welding of high-strength steels will be presented.

More information is available at the LASER World of Photonics web site.

The latest news from GSI Group, Ibsen Photonics, JDSU and Hamamatsu.

400 W fibre laser
GSI Group, UK, will be exhibiting the latest addition to its range of JK fibre lasers for welding and cutting applications. The JK400FL is a 400 W CW source that doubles the available power of the JK product line while using the same single-resonator platform. According to GSI, the singlemode output fibre delivers a near diffraction-limited beam that is consistent and stable across the whole power range. At maximum power, wall-plug efficiency is better than 25%, leading to economic operation and low environmental impact. In-built backreflection protection ensures that the laser continues to work even in the most demanding applications, without the need for a costly Faraday isolator.
www.gsiglasers.com

High-power transmission gratings
Ibsen Photonics, Denmark, will feature a family of high-power transmission gratings for 1064 nm, 800 nm and custom wavelengths. Fused-silica transmission gratings offer a power-handling capability that's claimed to be an order of magnitude greater than any other grating technology, including conventional gold-coated reflection gratings. Applications include pulse compression, spectral beam-combining and other high-power applications, which can be either CW or extremely short pulses. "Our fused-silica grating technology is perfectly suited to high-power applications, where users have been hitting the energy ceiling of grating types available up until now," says product manager Kristian Buchwald. "Our high-power gratings are comprised of 100% low-OH fused silica, plus standard high-power dielectric AR [antireflection] coatings."
www.ibsen.dk

UV optical filters
JDSU (Milpitas, CA) says that its UV optical filters "provide unparalleled UV light transmission - up to four times the transmission of traditional UV filters". The manufacturer also claims that its products are more durable and stable than existing filters because they are made up of hard dielectric material with a single-substrate structure. The filters, available in custom designs and large formats of up to 200 mm, can be used be used for any application in which the harmful portion of the UV spectrum must be eliminated while transmitting the desired wavelength - e.g. environmental monitoring, medical/aesthetic laser instruments, flame or gas detection, semiconductor lithography and genetic research.
www.jdsu.com

Quantum-cascade lasers
Hamamatsu Photonics, UK, will introduce a new range of quantum-cascade DFB lasers for applications in next-generation IR laser spectroscopy systems. The L10195 series is available with two wavelength options as standard: 7.7 microns for the L10195-01 and 5.2 microns for the L10195-02. Each product has a typical output power of 15 mW. According to the vendor, quantum-cascade lasers are the only mid-infrared semiconductor laser that can operate easily at room temperature utilizing peltier cooling. What's more, the tunability of the emission wavelength enables high-resolution analysis of a variety of gases (e.g. CH₄, N₂O and H₂CO) in medical diagnostics and security applications.
www.sales.hamamatsu.com