Laser Press Releases

U.S. Air Force Awards Raytheon Contract for Laser-Guided Maverick Missile

LaserBot — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:15:32 -0700

TUCSON, Ariz., April 2, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a contract to upgrade guidance and control sections for the air-to-ground Maverick missile.

"The military is successfully employing laser-guided Mavericks against moving targets and in urban environments," said Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Air Warfare Systems. "This contract is a win for the warfighters, because it gives them a reliable combat-proven weapon they can take to war almost immediately."

The contract initiates engineering efforts required to restart the laser-guided Maverick production line and will incorporate state-of-the-art laser-seeker technology. The contract will result in the upgrade of up to 450 laser Maverick guidance sections for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

Raytheon plans to deliver the first upgraded guidance sections to the U.S. Air Force in 20 to 24 months. The contract uses funds from a General Services Administration exchange program. The program provides the latest technology to the U.S. Air Force without affecting normal weapon procurement budgets.

World's largest laser gears up for ignition experiments

LaserBot — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:16:01 -0700

NIF target chamber
Composite photo shows all three floors containing the 264,000-pound, 10-meter diameter target chamber. Diagnostic instruments will be attached to the round hatches.
Photo montage by Jacqueline McBride

LIVERMORE, Calif. - Construction of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and highest-energy laser system, was essentially completed on Feb. 26, when technicians at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where the laser is located, fired the first full system shot to the center of the NIF target chamber.

The test was the first time all 192 laser beams converged simultaneously in the 10-meter-diameter chamber. NIF has met all of its project completion criteria except for official certification of project completion by the U.S. Department of Energy, due by March 31.

Instant control for laser welding

LaserBot — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:09:35 -0700

Car doors are usually assembled from several sections of sheet metal which are welded together by laser. The laser beam moves over the slightly overlapping sheets and melts them in a spot measuring several tenths of a millimeter, producing a so called full penetration hole that closes again when the laser beam moves on. It is most important for the laser output power to be set correctly – if it is too low the strength of the welding connection is reduced because it does not extend over the full cross section of the metal sheets, if it is too high the laser cuts right through them. Until now welders have gauged the right laser output by trial and error and then kept it constant. A complicating factor exists, however, in that the protective glass gets dirty after a while and lets less laser light through onto the metal. If this happens earlier than usual, hours can pass before it is noticed and the metal sheets may not be properly welded. Today, welding processes are only monitored without adjustment of the laser power because the achievalble frame rate of about thousand evaluated images per second is not sufficient.

Bookham Announces 6W 808nm Single Emitter Module

howardrooftop — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:19:55 -0700

San Jose, Calif., – March 9, 2009 – Bookham, Inc. (Nasdaq: BKHM), a provider of high power optical components, has expanded its portfolio of 808nm single emitter products with the launch of a module that delivers a minimum of 6W from a 200µm core fibre at industry leading reliability. The new module is designed to provide the power and reliability required for all solid-state and direct diode laser systems, particularly Nd:YAG pumping and medical, analytical and printing applications.

The new product is built on the proven Bookham platform for single emitter fiber laser pump modules, enabling high volume, cost-effective manufacturing. Devices are available as a chip-on-submount or chip-on-C-Mount. The 808nm single emitter chip can also be integrated into the multi-emitter package to achieve further increased power output levels.

Engineers Ride ‘Rogue’ Laser Waves to Build Better Light Sources

LaserBot — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:53:38 -0800

New Technology Presented at World's Largest Optical Communication Conference Produces Better Sources of White Light

WASHINGTON, March 4—A freak wave at sea is a terrifying sight. Seven stories tall, wildly unpredictable, and incredibly destructive, such waves have been known to emerge from calm waters and swallow ships whole. But rogue waves of light -- rare and explosive flare-ups that are mathematically similar to their oceanic counterparts -- have recently been tamed by a group of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

UCLA's Daniel Solli, Claus Ropers, and Bahram Jalali are putting rogue light waves to work in order to produce brighter, more stable white light sources, a breakthrough in optics that may pave the way for better clocks, faster cameras, and more powerful radar and communications technologies. Their findings will be presented during the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC), taking place March 22-26 in San Diego.

Next generation digital maps are laser sharp

LaserBot — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:35:24 -0800

Beams from the sky map the ground underfoot

Caption: The dynamics of rivers and streams can be more clearly identified using new laser-guided mapping technology, or lidar. This figure shows a segment of Maine’s Sheepscot River in a traditional digital topographic contour map (a); a lidar map (b); and the identification of Atlantic salmon spawning habitat (c). Airborne lidar mapping provides far greater resolution and allows researchers to connect the slope of the river with spawning habitat.

Credit: American Geophysical Union

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (February 12, 2009) – Restoring habitat for spawning species of fish, such as Atlantic salmon, starts with a geological inventory of suitable rivers and streams, and the watershed systems that support them. But the high-tech mapping tools available to geologists and hydrologists have had their limits.

Now, lasers beamed from planes overhead are adding greater clarity to mapping streams and rivers and interpreting how well these bodies of water can help maintain or expand fish stocks, according to a new study.

Optics Express Debuts Astrophotonics Focus Issue: Laser-Sculpted Optical Devices for Future Giant Telescopes

LaserBot — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:27:08 -0800

Emerging field of astrophotonics shows promise in analyzing light from the night sky

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 – Future telescopes, with mirrors half the size of a football field, will need special components to deal with the light they collect. Astronomers are turning to photonic devices that guide and manipulate light inside specially-designed materials. The greatest potential, which is described in the latest issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal, may lie in a laser-based technique that carves out micron-sized light pathways in three dimensions.

New laser method reproduces masterworks to protein patterns

LaserBot — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:58:50 -0800

Canadian researchers have created a new protein patterning technique that’s enabled them to reproduce complex cellular environments and a miniature version of a masterpiece painting. According to a new study published in the journal Lab on a Chip, scientists from Université de Montréal, the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute have developed a laser technology that can mimic the protein patterns that surround cells in vivo and that could lead to great advances in neuroscience.

To illustrate the precision of their protein patterning technique, the research team reproduced a masterwork of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, specifically Girl with a Pearl Earring, in the miniature dimension of 200 microns wide or about the thickness of two hairs. The researchers also used their novel technology to replicate the brain’s complex cellular environment. It’s a major discovery, since the new laser technology can encourage and guide the growth of finicky nerve cells.

A perfect bond

LaserBot — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:03:55 -0800

Not much has changed in the last 2,000 years when it comes to suturing together cuts and wounds. Even with microsurgery techniques, infection and permanent scarring remain major concerns.

To minimize these dangers, doctors tried using a carbon dioxide laser to seal wounds, but without the ability to control the heat of the laser, the technique created even greater risks. Until now.

Using carbon dioxide lasers to seal wounds inside the body and out with a technique known as "laser welding," a team of Tel Aviv University researchers have perfected a new device to heat body tissue in a precisely controlled manner. The work of the research team, headed by Prof. Abraham Katzir from TAU's Applied Physics Group, could change the way surgeons bond cuts on the surface of our skin and inside our bodies during surgery.

With the new device, if the laser begins to overheat and risks burning the tissue, laser power is reduced, and if the temperature is too low to complete a closure, laser power in increased appropriately.

Getting the Temperature Just Right

Photop Announces Wide-temp-operating 200mW Green Diode Laser

cobbywu — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:37:48 -0700

Photop Technologies, Inc., a leading photonic designer & integrated manufacturer on fiber optics, optics, display optics and laser, announced the successful development of Mini-size Wide-temp-operating (WTO) 200mW green laser GDL-9200, the newest addition to its Green Diode Laser product family.

The GDL-9200 is a continuous wave 532 nm diode-pumped microchip green laser in a very compact package. Based on Photop’s patent of cavity design, the GDL-9200 can be operated up to 50₿operating temperature without TEC. The special cavity design also features low noise and high polarization ratio laser output.

The competitive Mini-size WTO 200mW green laser is positioned to provide solutions for a wide range of applications in laser aiming, laser display, and biotechnology.

Samples is available now, and mass production from Q1/09.

Photop Announces SLM 1064nm Microchip Laser

cobbywu — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:36:07 -0700

Photop Technologies, Inc., a leading photonic designer & integrated manufacturer on fiber optics, optics, display optics and laser, announced the successful development of High Power Single Longitude Mode (SLM) 1064nm Laser, the newest addition to its microchip laser product family.

The SLM Laser features low noise, narrow linewidth and mini size. Thanks to Photop’s new patented technology, a new type of microchip realizing the SLM output, is used in the SLM 1064nm Laser. This technology gives the SLM laser two main characteristics, more compact structure and flexibility in application. Customers can fix the laser on a module easily to realize optimization in application. By using this new technology, the SLM 1064nm Laser also has good performance in optical-to-optical conversion efficiency.

The SLM laser offers a widely adjustable operating range of output power (100mW, 200mW 500mW), and the spectrum linewidth can be less than 0.0001nm.

The SLM laser can be used in a variety of applications, including Raman Laser, Detection and Interferometry.

Samples is available now, and mass production from Q1/09.

Opnext Introduces Red Laser Diode; Accelerates Company's Entry into Miniature Display Market

LaserBot — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:20:47 -0700

World's First 640nm/60mW Red Laser Diode
Enables Transmission of Images from Electronic Devices

TOKYO & EATONTOWN, N.J., Oct 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Opnext, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPXT), a global leader in state-of-the-art laser technology, today announced the availability of the HL6387TG laser diode for use in miniature display applications. This new laser diode expands Opnext's addressable market by accelerating the company's entry into the miniature display market. The new diode can be built into miniature display systems, including those in personal computers, mobile phones and other mobile devices, making it possible to get an image of information anytime, anywhere.

"Opnext is dedicated to developing cutting-edge products to meet the latest market needs, such as the miniature display market," said Tadayuki Kanno, senior vice president Device Business Unit, Opnext. "With this new product, we are truly improving the consumer experience by providing better color reproducibility on a cell phone or other portable device, and helping our customers to meet consumer demand for new applications in the miniature display market."

Flexi display technology is now

LaserBot — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:34:27 -0700

Rigid television screens, bulky laptops and still image posters are to be a thing of the past as new research, published today, Thursday, 2 October, in the New Journal of Physics, heralds the beginning of a technological revolution for screen displays.

Screen display technology is taking a significant step forward as researchers from Sony and the Max Planck Institute demonstrate the possibility of bendable optically assessed organic light emitting displays for the first time, based on red or IR-A light upconversion.

The paper, ‘Annihilation Assisted Upconversion: All-Organic, Flexible and Transparent Multicolour Display’, makes feasible the design of computers that can be folded up and put in your pocket, the mass-production of moving image posters for display advertising, televisions which can be bended to view or, even, newspaper display technology which allows readers to upload daily news to an easy-to-carry display contraption.

New ZEISS Binoculars with Integrated Laser Rangefinder

LaserBot — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:24:32 -0700

WETZLAR/Germany, 23.09.2008.
The new Victory 8x45 T* RF and Victory 10x45 T* RF binoculars enable simultaneous observation and range determination of objects. This is made possible by the integrated laser rangefinder (RF). Carl Zeiss thus fulfills a much desired wish of many professional and quality-conscious binocular users.

Immediately after a button is pushed, the Victory 8x45 T* RF or Victory 10x45 T* RF provides birdwatchers with the approximate altitude of a flock of bids. This type of high-performance binoculars also gives hunters added security: precise knowledge of the distance to the target. The rangefinder also permits fast surveying with good quality for the agricultural and forestry industries. Hikers also know how far away a certain object is.

Digital laser rangefinding

A Laser Comb for Astronomy

LaserBot — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:40:23 -0700

A FINE-TOOTH COMB TO MEASURE THE ACCELERATING UNIVERSE
Developing a precise ruler for the future

Astronomical instruments needed to answer crucial questions, such as the search for Earth-like planets or the way the Universe expands, have come a step closer with the first demonstration at the telescope of a new calibration system for precise spectrographs. The method uses a Nobel Prize-winning technology called a 'laser frequency comb', and is published in this week's issue of Science.

"It looks as if we are on the way to fulfil one of astronomers' dreams," says team member Theodor Hänsch, director at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Germany. Hänsch, together with John Hall, was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics for work including the frequency comb technique.

Bookham Announces 20W Fiber Laser Pump Module

howardjones — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:00:09 -0700

Zurich, Switzerland – September 2, 2008 – Bookham, Inc. (Nasdaq: BKHM), a provider of optical components for industrial applications, has launched a single emitter-based pump laser module capable of delivering 20W of fiber coupled power into a 105µm, 0.15NA fiber. The product is designed to target fiber laser and direct systems for material processing applications, and will allow laser manufacturers to optimize their dollar per watt ratio.

The increased power output of the Bookham pump module enables customers to generate greater power levels for fiber laser pumping with fewer modules, allowing for more compact pump configurations, greater pump block efficiency and simplification of packaging.

Scientists take the sharpest image ever made with light

LaserBot — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:57:01 -0700

A team of scientists from the Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) and the ESRF in Grenoble (France) has produced the image of an object at the highest resolution ever achieved with X-ray light. A 100-nanometre gold particle fixed on a substrate was reconstructed with 5 nanometre resolution. Contrary to other techniques, X-ray imaging works also in real-life environments like chemical processing or in the presence of high magnetic fields. The team reports its findings in the newest issue of Phys. Rev. Lett. dated 5 September 2008 (published online 29 August 2008).

Image of the gold nanoparticle as reconstructed from the diffraction pattern. The brightness is a measure for the thickness of the gold. Courtesy of C. Schroer/TU Dresden.

SPI Lasers 30W Pulsed Fiber Laser Competes with Traditional Marking Lasers

LaserBot — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:35:11 -0700

SOUTHAMPTON, England, Aug 22, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- SPI Lasers, a leading designer and manufacturer of fiber lasers, today announced its latest pulsed product, a 30W fiber laser is aimed at faster and higher quality marking, engraving and ablation applications.
The 30W pulsed laser, extends the output power of the existing product range. The laser has a typical M2 of 3.2 giving a more uniform flatter power distribution over the beam. This makes the laser more suitable for applications where a more "top hat" distribution is preferable rather than the lower order Gaussian mode ideal where wider mark tacks and large area fills are required. Applications that can benefit from this laser source include; anneal marking, anodised aluminium marking, thin film patterning, plastic marking, engraving and paint removal.

Life under the laser

LaserBot — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:29:16 -0700

Researchers at The University of Nottingham have developed a unique technology that will allow scientists to look at microscopic activity within the body's chemical messenger system for the very first time, live as it happens.

The cutting edge laser technology has helped to attract £1.3 million from the MRC (Medical Research Council) for a five-year project that will offer a new insight into the tiny world of activity taking place within single cells and could contribute to the design of new drugs to treat human diseases such as asthma and arthritis with fewer side effects.

The team, involving scientists from the University's Schools of Biomedical Science (Professor Steve Hill and Dr Steve Briddon) and Pharmacy (Dr Barrie Kellam), is concentrating on a type of specialised docking site (receptor) on the surface of a cell that recognises and responds to a natural chemical within the body called adenosine.

World's First 642nm 150mW Laser Diode Launched by Photonic Products

LaserBot — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:00:29 -0700

Photonic Products, the UK opto-electronics device manufacturer and laser diode specialist, is delighted to be the authorised distributor of the World’s first 642nm, 150mW, single longitudinal mode semiconductor laser diode with TE mode oscillation; the Opnext HL6385DG.

This innovative laser diode from Opnext offers the highest optical output power on the market at a visible lasing wavelength of 642nm. It supersedes Opnext’s HL6366DG series high power red laser diodes (642nm, 90mW). Opnext’s technology breakthrough was achieved with a new development process, a new waveguide structure and optimised structural parameter.

With its high output power providing exceptional clarity and visibility, the Opnext HL6385DG laser diode is ideal for use in laser display applications, such as laser light shows. It also offers the brilliance of a light source needed for next-generation miniature displays in the industrial and medical industries; a market which continues to grow due to the rising demand for mobile technologies.

Boeing Tests Entire Weapon System on Advanced Tactical Laser Aircraft

LaserBot — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:54:03 -0700

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 13, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed the first ground test of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser ( ATL ) aircraft, achieving a key milestone in the ATL Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program.

During the test Aug. 7 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the ATL aircraft, a C-130H, fired its high-energy chemical laser through its beam control system. The beam control system acquired a ground target and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system. The laser passes through a rotating turret on the aircraft's belly.

"By firing the laser through the beam control system for the first time, the ATL team has begun to demonstrate the functionality of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "This is a major step toward providing the ultra-precision engagement capability that the warfighter needs to dramatically reduce collateral damage."

Engineer Injured at Laboratory for Laser Energetics

LaserBot — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:28:27 -0700

Sam Roberts, 32, a Senior Lab Engineer at the University's Laboratory for Laser Energetics was seriously injured in an accident at the laboratory yesterday, Aug. 6.

"My thoughts and the thoughts of everyone at the University are with Sam, his family, friends and coworkers," said University President Joel Seligman. "We are all earnestly hoping for his recovery."

Lab Director Bob McCrory, who met with the Laboratory staff this morning, said, "Sam is a valuable and well-liked member of our team at the Laboratory with over nine years of service, and our hopes and prayers are with him." He added, "Safety is the most important priority of the laboratory, and we will continue to work closely with federal and University officials." He also announced that counselors are available at the laboratory for any staff who would like to avail themselves of these services.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. yesterday, Aug. 6, Roberts was performing a routine operation when coworkers heard a loud sound and found him under a heavy piece of equipment. His coworkers provided CPR to the victim until the West Brighton Fire Department arrived and transported him to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Lockheed Martin agrees to acquire Aculight Corporation

LaserBot — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:59:04 -0700

BETHESDA, Md., July 28, 2008 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aculight Corporation based in Bothell, WA. Aculight is a privately held company primarily focused on providing laser- based solutions for national defense and aerospace customers. The new business unit will report to Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems & Sensors business in Akron, OH. The companies are not disclosing terms of the transaction.

“This transaction is consistent with Lockheed Martin’s focus on acquiring companies with strategic capabilities that strengthen our core offerings and create potential for adjacent market expansion,” said Chris Kubasik, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business area. “Aculight’s expertise in countermeasures, laser radar, and high power directed energy will be of tangible benefit to Lockheed Martin’s customers in areas such as guided munitions, airborne self-protection and advanced sensors.”

SPI Lasers doubles ‘Power and Control’ to its customers with latest fiber lasers

LaserBot — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:27:26 -0700

31 July 2008, Southampton, UK, SPI Lasers, a leading designer and manufacturer of fiber lasers, today announced that its latest products will double in power and control capability, enabling customers to cut and weld materials with faster process times and with more advanced control options than ever before. SPI has increased its air-cooled lasers from 100 to 200W power and water cooled from 200 to 400W power, whilst also creating unique laser control functions offering direct application benefits across a wide range of laser machining applications.

"The power, versatility and control capabilities of SPI's R4 Platform Products make them the most advanced high power fiber lasers on the market today, enabling ground breaking process improvements." said Andy Appleyard, Product Line Manager for High Power Laser Systems.

New technique to compress light could open doors for optical communications

LaserBot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:23:51 -0700

BERKELEY – Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have devised a way to squeeze light into tighter spaces than ever thought possible, potentially opening doors to new technology in the fields of optical communications, miniature lasers and optical computers.

Optics researchers succeeded previously in passing light through gaps 200 nanometers wide, about 400 times smaller than the width of a human hair. A group of UC Berkeley researchers led by mechanical engineering professor Xiang Zhang devised a way to confine light in incredibly small spaces on the order of 10 nanometers, only five times the width of a single piece of DNA and more than 100 times thinner than current optical fibers.

"This technique could give us remarkable control over light," said Rupert Oulton, research associate in Zhang's group and lead author of the study, "and that would spell out amazing things for the future in terms of what we could do with that light."