CW Laser Blog Posts

Helium-neon (HeNe) lasers are renowned for their excellent beam quality and reliability in continuous-wave (CW) operation, making them a staple in application like spectroscopy, holography, and interferometry. For professionals selecting a laser source, understanding HeNe laser technolgoy and specifications is key to choosing the right solution. This article explores the fundamentals of HeNe lasers, the history of their development, and critical considerations for selecting the ideal H… Read More

As Germany phases out nuclear power plants, the focus has shifted to alternative energy carriers, mainly hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3), which can store energy generated by wind and solar power. While hydrogen shows promise, it is challenging to produce an… Read More

Historically, Helium-Neon (HeNe) lasers were often the first choice for precision instrumentation, measurement setups and some spectroscopy applications. It was invented in 1960 and technologically it was one of the first lasers with extraordinary good parameters. The mechanical and optical design is quite simple (apart from sophisticated glasswork to make the tube itself) but the gas lasing medium and overall construction provide some intrinsic advantages. But also a number of disadv… Read More

Laser alignment can be a challenging task, but aligning a laser beam doesn’t have to be as complicated as it might seem with the right tools and proper techniques. Multiple tried-and-true methods have been developed over the years, utilized by technicians and engineers to simplify the alignment process. With the development of these methods, along with some tips and tricks, you don’t need to be a laser expert to perform your alignments with relative ease, ensuring your laser path is right where you want it to be and your beam is on target e… Read More

As discussed in previous posts, Raman spectroscopy is a rapidly growing analytical technique used in a wide variety of industries for material identification, but with so many different laser options it can be somewhat challenging to understand which laser is best for which application. To help elevate some of the confusion around this issue, we released an application note this past August titled “Multi-Mode vs. Single-Mode Lasers for Raman Spectr… Read More

Raman spectroscopy is one of the fastest growing and most diverse applications in all of laser spectroscopy.  As a result, it can be rather challenging at times to sift through the wide-ranging laser options all being marketed for Raman spectroscopy.  In this application note we will tackle one of the most common questions that arises when picking a laser for Raman spectroscopy; “Should I chose a single-spatial mode or multi-spatial mode laser for my application?”  On the surface, this seems like a simple question since Raman is a nonlinear optical effect and therefore the tighter the beam can be focused the higher the conversion efficiency.  Seemingly a single-mode laser would be preferable, but in practice there are other factors that can complicate … Read More

Laser amplifiers are an invaluable tool because they allow for a laser’s power to be increased while maintaining its basic spectral properties. In principle laser amplifier noise is no different than the amplifier noise induced in an audio system, and just as in a home stereo system the quality of the amplifier will have a tremendous effect on the quality of output signal.  Therefore, in this post we will attempt to answer the question what is laser amplifier noise, and perhaps more importantly how amplifier noise can affect the overall performance of yo… Read More

We provide a huge range of configurations for the ‘World’s Smallest’ DPSS & Diode Lasers and Multi-Wavelength Combiners. The low cost, lightweight & ultra-compact footprint, USB power, and other features, make these lasers and multi-wavelength combiners perfect for any kind of portable, handheld applications, whether out in the field, or for efficient and convenient use in the lab, receiving center, incoming inspection, or anywhere you nee… Read More

Raman Spectroscopy has become increasingly popular in recent years. With more demand for this application, some companies have strived to make advancements to the associated technology and hardware, in an effort to provide better results, more throughput, increased flexibility, and a reduction in total footprint of these devices. This Raman Probe provides great flexibility with configurable optics and advanced features like dual-wavelength capability using only one spe… Read More

Flow cytometry is a method for simultaneously analyzing multiple physical properties of an individual cell as it flows through a beam of light in a fluid stream, including the cells size and fluorescence.  In practice, flow cytometry is essentially a combination of particle counting and fluorescence spectroscopy. By combining these two techniques flow cytometry can be employed in cell counting, cell sorting, biomarker detection, and protein engineering analyzing thousands of cells per second as they pass through the liqu… Read More

Driving a vehicle at night or during foggy conditions can be tricky and dangerous, where poor visibility can cause undue stress or even an accident. These conditions make it more difficult to see upcoming potential obstacles, especially if that obstacle is a deer in a field or a pedestrian in dark clothing at night. However, thanks to newer, more efficient, and cost-effective advancements, we could see more widespread deployment of LIDAR-based automotive detection and warning… Read More

Traditionally, long-wave infrared detectors have been costly, gallium arsenide- or indium phosphide-based detectors found in night vision cameras. While cheaper and easier to produce in volume, CMOS technology suffered from the so-called ‘THz gap’ or ‘far-infrared gap’ of the electromagnetic spectrum, unable to detect these long wavelengths. Today, an intriguing solution is becoming available in the form of a THz range CMOS detector for cost-effective, long-wave infrared … Read More

Integrated Optics, UAB has recently upgraded the World’s smallest 4-wavelength laser combiner. This new release is widely configurable and has a large selection of wavelengths and output types. A redesigned Break-out-Box (BoB) accessory provides more functionality and durability when used in scientific setups. SM and PM fiber coupling, with more than 50% fiber coupling efficiency, is finally available as well. You can select a maximum of 4 wavelengths from 405nm, 450nm, 488nm, 520nm, 638nm, 660nm, 785nm, 830nm, 850nm, 975nm, 1064nm. Further extensions into the infrared are in consideration for de… Read More

In this blog, the concept of “Raman Concatenation” is explained as a measurement technique utilized to overcome many of the previously outlined trade-offs. In general, many Raman measurements suffer from fluorescence, which forces the use of longer excitation wavelength (lower photon energy) lasers to prevent the fluorescence signal from overwhelming the Raman signal. However, this results in reduced sensitivity of low-cost silicon CCD detectors at higher wavenumbers, making it difficult (or impossible) to observe the “stretch” portion of the Raman spectra (i.e. 2000 – 4… Read More

Over the past year, we here at RPMC Lasers have published several different pieces of technical content on various LIDAR applications.  Some of our more recent posts include a white paper titled “Single Frequency Fiber Lasers for Doppler LIDAR,” and a blog post on the use of aerial LIDAR in bathymetry.  LIDAR is quickly becoming one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the overall laser market.  In fact, Market Insider recently reported that “ The market for LIDAR is expected to grow double in size in the next five… Read More

RPMC Lasers, has partnered with Integrated Optics, for several years now, to provide our customers with high-quality compact diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) and diode laser modules.   In order to meet growing production demands, Integrated Optics recently made a 400,000 Euro (~450,000 USD) investment to update and expand their Industry 4.0-ready manufacturing capabilities.  Integrated Optics, founded in 2012 by Jonas Jonuška and Evaldas Pabrėža, is currently collaborating with the European Union to help fund this expansion and increase their current… Read More

Machine vision is defined as the substitution of the human visual senses and decision-making ability, by image acquisition and computer analysis to perform an inspection task.   This process is most commonly utilized as an active imaging technology to automate inspection and analysis for process control and robot guidance in industrial applications.  As automation has become more and more prevalent in the manufacturing sector, machine vision technology has rapidly grown into one of the largest markets for laser diodes around th… Read More

Flow cytometry is a method for simultaneously analyzing multiple physical properties of an individual cell as it flows through a beam of light in a fluid stream, including the cells size and fluorescence.   In practice, flow cytometry is essentially a combination of particle counting and fluorescence spectroscopy.  Since we have written about both of these subjects in depth in the past, this blog will not spend very much time on the fundamentals of these two technologies instead you are recommended to read our previous blog post on Optical Particle Counting and our white paper on  Multi-Color Flu… Read More

CW Laser Modules emit continuous light, unlike the pulsed lasers (See below). Some wavelengths are achieved using laser diodes, and other wavelengths are achieved using a Diode Pumped Solid State Laser. Applications include Microscopy, Holography, Raman Spectroscopy, Optogenics, and … Read More

We know selecting a laser source for your application can be overwhelming. There are many types of lasers and levels of integration to choose from, so it is important to know their differences and the impacts they will have on your project. In our new Lasers 101 guide, we provide a… Read More

This article discusses holography, some key laser source characteristics, and offers a potential laser solution, designed with holography in mind. Holography is the science of creating and then recording the light patterns that result from interaction between two light beams.  The reference beam is directly imprinted on the recording media, while the object beam will interact with the recording material by ether getting transmitted through or being reflected off the subject of … Read More

RPMC Lasers offers over 50 different blue lasers and laser diodes from several industry leading suppliers. The Blue wavelengths cover the wavelengths from 420nm thru 499nm. Applications for Blue wavelength lasers and laser diodes include biophotonics, medical, military, and ma… Read More

Choosing the correct laser is especially important for Raman spectroscopy when compared with other spectroscopic techniques because the Raman shift is directly related to the light source and the measured spectroscopic data cannot be decoupled from the lig… Read More

DX1 Laser Module with integrated Current Source & Temperature Controller offers a wide range of DFB laser diodes ranging from 76… Read More

The Matchbox laser module family of compact lasers and laser diode modules are available in wavelengths from 405nm th… Read More