September 22, 2008--Daylight Solutions (Poway, CA), a manufacturer of advanced molecular detection and imaging solutions, has announced the signing of a $5.3 million contract with the U.S. Navy. The project is jointly sponsored by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and NAVAIR.
Daylight Solutions recently demonstrated a high power, mid-wave infrared laser system, utilizing the company's patented external-cavity quantum-cascade laser (EC-QCL) technology. The system achieved a world record for room temperature output power from an electrically pumped, solid-state, mid-IR laser system. The Navy contract includes delivery of a self-contained, high-power system in Q1 of 2009, with additional options extending for a period of 1 to 5 years.
"Working with NRL on this important project is another demonstration of our commitment to supporting the U.S. Defense and Security market," commented Daylight's CEO/CTO, Timothy Day. "Our infrared technology is an ideal match for many of the challenges facing today's military. Daylight Solutions is pleased to be partnered with NRL's advanced technical team in support of this important program."
On September 17, Daylight Solutions announced the successful close of its Series B round of financing, for $5M. In August, the company announced the new world record for a broadly tunable solid state mid-infrared laser source in a commercial product. The company integrated a Quantum Cascade semiconductor gain chip from ALPES lasers (Switzerland) into its own patented tunable external-cavity laser (EC-QCL) system. The result was a single frequency source that tuned across 275 wavenumbers, or 24% of the laser's center wavelength at 8.8 μm.
The availability of miniature, broadly tunable lasers in the 4 to 12 μm spectrum enables handheld sensors, which can be used in applications such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and explosives detection. The ability to tune across a wide spectral range means that
more of a molecule's "fingerprint" can be identified, allowing for greater accuracy and the ability to detect multiple species of molecules simultaneously.
RELATED ARTICLES:
OPTICAL SENSING: Laser-acoustic device detects explosives residue from a safe distance