Tunable lasers have proven to be great assets for numerous applications. Various types of laser spectroscopy, and many other scientific applications benefit from the wavelength tunability, narrow linewidths and output power provided by tunable lasers. Tunable OPO lasers provide great benefits for many spectroscopy and other applications, with their small footprint and wide range of wavelength t… Read More
For many years, space applications have steadily increased the utilization of laser diodes for various instruments (mainly pump sources for solid-state lasers). Because of this, organizations have developed qualification methodologies to ensure high levels of quality, performance, and lifetime. In recent years, increasingly complex scientific payloads have required more precise lasers for metrology, calibration, and environmenta… 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
The ALCOR Series of femtosecond lasers can be equipped with the optional XSight, fully-integrated electronics module for 920nm & 1064nm, allowing for easy power adjustments and modulation. By itself, the ALCOR is an excellent laser for Two-Photon Imaging applications, offering fixed output powers of 1W, 2W, 4W, and 5W, but has no power modulation, and can only operate in alignment power mode, or full power mode, with no intermediate power levels. With the addition of the XSight module, users can tailor the output power to achieve the best results from their specific ap… Read More
Combat zones can be extremely chaotic. With a massive influx of sensory input, implementing clear communication, rugged tools, and reliable instrumentation is key to a successful mission. One of the most challenging tasks in any aerial combat situation is determining which assets on the ground to target and which ones to avoid. Because of this challenge, a practice, commonly referred to as “painting the target,” was developed and has been successfully deployed for many years, allowing ground forces to identify and designate targets for successful engagement by aeria… Read More
The first HeNe laser was developed in 1960 at Bell Labs by Ali Javan, in conjunction with William Bennet Jr. and Donald Herriott. A helium–neon (HeNe) laser, is a type of continuously operating, or continuous wave (CW) gas laser in which the gain medium is a 10:1 mixture of helium and neon, pressurized within a glass tube. When a DC current is applied to two electrodes on opposite ends of the tube, helium atoms are excited into metastab… Read More
Blue diode lasers have recently become known as an excellent tool for certain processing techniques regarding copper and other non-ferrous and highly reflective metals. Copper, gold, aluminum, and certain other metals absorb blue wavelengths more easily than any other wavelengths of visible or invisible light. This higher rate of absorption allows for both higher quality results and faster processing times, when typically, there is a trade off between quality … Read More
Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) applications like laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), night vision, range finding, and time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR benefit from the utilization of rugged, low SWaP. These applications often require the associated hardware components to be resistant to harsh environmental conditions in the field. Operating temperature range, shock and vibration, and size, weight, and power constraints are among the critical considerations when choosing the right laser tr… Read More
Steady growth in the nuclear industry has led to an increase in demand for more accurate, efficient, and reliable detection and monitoring of critical compounds, like Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) assay or Methyl Iodide (CH3i). This has led to the development of new technologies, enhancing the capabilities of molecular spectroscopy. Entities worldwide are developing advanced spectroscopy-based technologies and methods, aiming to decrease accidents with better safeguards, enable the rapid and precise assessment of nuclear plant … Read More
CW multi-wavelength combiners have proven to be a critical component in Life Science applications, reducing time, cost, and complexity, and fundamentally changing these applications, allowing for increased efficiency and ease of use. Given the immense degree of complexity and time involved with combining multiple laser beams into a confocal microscope, multi-wavelength combiner modules have flooded into the market in recent years. These plug-n-play style modules allow for swappable laser modules and quick and easy coupling with a confocal microscope, saving hours in precision alignmen… Read More
In business for over 20 years, with nearly 10,000 units fielded, the experts at Bright Solutions have built a history of success and have gained a vast amount of applications experience. In their modern applications lab, ideal for proof-of-concept testing and sample processing, they provide a host of DPSS laser configurations with a range of wavelengths and power levels, have a dedicated staff with years of application experience, and even offer process developmen… Read More
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, but the outlook for 2021 is looking increasingly optimistic! Following a move into new premises, and a recent expansion in staff and production capacity, UniKlaser is delighted to announce their first new product release of the year; the Duetto 349 CW Single Frequency UV Laser System. The world’s first DPSS CW UV laser system operating with single frequency … Read More
It is well known that the output beam characteristic of a multimode laser diode is inherently non-uniform, due to both spatial and temporal variations of the mode profile, that result from thermal lensing and filamentation. These non-uniformities (‘hot-spots’ and ‘dark-spots’) can lead to deleterious effects for many applications, including solid-state laser pumping, Raman spectroscopy of sensitive materials, laser speckle contrast imaging, and laser ill… Read More
The Q-TUNE tunable DPSS laser from Quantum Light Instruments has everything you need to enhance and simplify your spectroscopy application. A user-friendly web interface, gives you the freedom to control the laser remotely from any computer or smart phone browser without having to download or install software. The advanced, microprocessor-controlled operation allows for automated self-optimization, self-calibration, and hands-free tuning at the click of… Read More
LiDAR is a critical component of ADAS (Advanced Driving Assisting System), AVs (Autonomous Vehicles), and industrial automation systems. Highly efficient VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers), with their tiny footprint, attractive pricing, and remarkable reliability and performance, will undoubtedly have an increased positive effect on the LiDAR industry. 100% solid-state LiDAR systems show great potential as the next evolution in LiDAR technology, aiming to replace traditional bulky and expensive mechanical spinning and microelectromechanical systems LiDA… 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
Despite the recent economic depression caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical industry has seen continued growth. Among the new industry opportunities, demand for medical devices has spiked. In this article, we’ll discuss one device in particular, the pulse oximeter, and the role VCSELs play in enhancing these devices to further support the medical industry and the fight against… Read More
Mid-IR molecular spectroscopy is a rapidly developing and promising technique, enabling high-performance chemical detection and analysis for industrial or environmental purposes, with new wavelength ranges becoming commercially available. The essential component for such applications is the laser source, adapted to the specific spectral lines (the fingerprint) of the target molecule. Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) are a perfectly suited solution to build such analysis… Read More
A common problem for HeNe laser customers is the issue of polarization switching, which is the sudden change of the polarization of different modes, especially in shorter tubes, which can be particularly detrimental when operating frequency stabilized HeNe laser tubes. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as ‘mode hopping.’ However, this is not accurate. While somewhat similar to polarization switching, mode hopping involves the laser’s operation on a single resonator mode, which suddenly switches to another mode, causing the optical power to switch over to this… Read More
Laser diodes must meet two critical requirements to facilitate the lasing process. The first requires that, at a minimum, the laser cavity’s gain increases to the point that it reaches unity with the level of losses. This unity state is known as the gain threshold. The second requirement is that there must be a longitudinal mode present inside the optical cavity, coinciding with the laser’s gain curve. This article explores precisely what longitudinal modes are and how they affect the laser diode’s pe… Read More
Spectroscopy is a class of analysis methods meant for chemical species identification and concentration measurement, based on emission spectra detection, if irradiated by an adequate light source. Fluorescence-based spectroscopy is one of the oldest spectroscopic techniques. This technique utilizes electron-photon interactions and relies on the absorption of high-energy photons and the subsequent emission of lower-energy, longer-wavelength fluorescence photons, with the energy difference associated with vibrationa… 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
The ALCOR laser series from SPARK Lasers just received a nice power boost! This series, offered in a dual 920nm and 1064nm wavelength configuration up to 2W, or a single wavelength configuration with up to 4W at 920nm (highest power 920nm fs laser on the market), now expands it’s offerings to 5W of power at 1064nm! The new ALCOR 1064-5W is the one of a few femtosecond lasers offering such a high average power with a fixed wavelength at 1064 nm, and it has the very same low-SWaP form factor as the rest of the ALC… Read More
Shortly after the invention of the first laser, a relevant application enabled by the availability of coherent light, called time-of-flight, emerged. ToF is the precise measurement of the round-trip time of a laser pulse from the source to the target object and back again, allowing you to determine the distance or the velocity of the target. By collecting the back-reflected (or back-scattered) radiation of a short pulse, initially directed to a remote target, it is possible to determine the exact position of said target, provided that the time interval between the outgoing pulse and the corresponding echo is precisely… Read More
Quantum Light Instruments’ (QLI’s) main product line is the Quantas Family. This family of lasers offers compact, air-cooled, high-energy, low rep rate, DPSS lasers at the fundamental wavelengths of 1064 and 1053nm, as well as the less common 1163, 1177, 1300, 1317, 1551 and 1571nm options. They offer standard harmonic wavelengths, through the 5th harmonic (211 and 213nm), with the addition of an external harmonics module. The Quantas Family was designed for a wide range of applications that require high peak power / high ener… Read More
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