Tucson, AZ--The 2 micron high-power mode-locked fiber laser from AdValue Photonics has been selected as a winner of the 2012 R&D 100 Awards. Widely recognized as the "Oscars of Innovation", the R&D 100 Awards identify and celebrate the top 100 high-technology products of the year as defined by R&D Magazine. The AdValue Photonics winner is an all-optical-fiber laser with no free-space components in the optical system, providing advantages in operation stability and reliability. With a 2 micron wavelength, picosecond pulse width, 10 kW peak power, and near-diffraction-limited beam, AdValue Photonics says its fiber laser is a tool for scientists working with nonlinear optics, frequency conversion, spectroscopy, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), and materials studies.
The laser is important for nonlinear frequency conversion and mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength generation, and the 2 micron wavelength is favorable as a pump laser for mid-IR generation as compared to its counterparts at 1 micron and 1.55 micron. Development of mid-IR lasers and light sources is particularly important for sensing because many molecular species of immense interest have their spectral signatures (fingerprints) in the mid-IR region. Applications encompass many industries from commercial to military, and for applications spanning environmental monitoring, industrial process control, hazardous chemical detection, molecular identification, thermal imaging, antimissile infrared countermeasures (IRCM), materials processing, and medical diagnostics.
AdValue Photonics is a developer and manufacturer of optical-fiber-based lasers, amplifiers, broadband light sources, and passive components. The company says it is focused on producing innovative, high-quality, and cost-effective products by leveraging its proprietary technology and expertise in advanced optical glasses and fibers—optimizing the entire process from chemical batch of raw materials to fiber drawing to assembly of fiber laser systems in house.
SOURCE: AdValue Photonics; http://advaluephotonics.com