50-GHz OADM
An all-passive, filter-based, 50-GHz optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) product suite has been introduced, using a patent-pending V-collimator thin-film-filter technology. The OADM offers 50-GHz bandwidths over telecommunications operating conditions without temperature-compensation and residual isolation at dropped channels at -35 dB. These modules are available in standard ITU wavelengths with 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-channel add/drop configurations.
Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Sunnyvale, CA
Industrial optical-laser wrist system
A new industrial 5-Axis Optical Laser Wrist System, available with a 25- or 50-mm clear aperture, has a universal design allowing it to be integrated with any CNC. Features include independent autofocus axis with capacitive height sensing, welding/cladding head attachments, and cutting/drilling head attachments. The system is compatible with all high- and low-power Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers.
Haas Laser Technologies, Flanders, NJ
Diode-pumped solid-state laser power supply
The 58 PSM 290 is a new power supply for the Melles Griot 58 series high-power diode-pumped solid-state laser line. It replaces the 58 PSM 281 and includes variable output power, TTL, pulse modulation, and worldwide voltage capability. The power supply may be controlled directly through the front panel, by a computer using a standard RS-232 interface, or through an external interface connector.
Melles Griot, Carlsbad, CA
Transmission gratings
A new line of transmission gratings is available with or without a visible broadband AR coat on the back surface. They were designed for the visible spectrum, offering different levels of dispersion. Available gratings include 300 grooves/mm (17.5° blaze angle), 600 grooves/mm (28.7°), 830 grooves/mm (29.87°), and 1200 grooves/mm (36.9°). Applications include compact systems utilizing small detector arrays.
Optometrics, Ayer, MA
Advanced distributed-feedback laser
The WaveHarp is an advanced distributed-feedback laser that emits up to 300-mW power in a narrow spectral band. As a wavelength-stabilized pump, the laser eliminates the need for an external fiber Bragg grating by integrating the grating on the laser chip. As a source laser, it can eliminate the need for amplifiers in metro DWDM networks, reducing system architecture cost and complexity to enable wide-scale deployment.
Princeton Lightwave, Cranbury, NJ
Halogen light source for machine vision
The DCR III is a 150-W dc-regulated halogen light source for machine-vision applications. It is an updated version of the DCR II light source. New features include power-factor correction for 2001 CE compliance, autosensing universal input voltage (accepts 90- to 265-V ac), current limiting, transient protection, and a lamp-change indicator light.
Schott-Fostec, Auburn, NY
Single-mode fiber delivery system
The kineFLEX kinematic fiber delivery system consists of a single-mode, polarization-maintaining fiber that incorporates pre-aligned and pre-focused optical assemblies at the fiber ends. Single-wavelength options are available between 442 and 830 nm, and multiwavelength systems are available as either 458/488/514 nm or 488/568/647 nm. The system can be mounted directly to the laser or mounted in "free space."
Point Source, Hamble, England
Cooled digital CCD camera
Exposure times up to 1000 s can be achieved with the COOL-1300 high-resolution camera due to cooling at -20°C and low dark current of the sensor. The camera supplies 1280 x 1024-pixel resolution in normal mode or 640 x 512-pixel in the binning mode. The 12-bit digital data from the camera are transferred via a RS644 interface to a PC grabber within 80 ms. It uses a 12-V power supply and no additional control unit.
VDS Vosskühler, Osnabrück, Germany
16-bit digital camera
The new Photometrics Series 400 digital camera for low-light imaging is designed as an integratable imaging engine for OEMs. The 16-bit system utilizes surface-mount PCB technology to consolidate all camera electronics within a compact camera head, eliminating the need for an external controller unit.
Roper Scientific, Tucson, AZ
VCSEL alignment features for laser bonders
Two new features have been added to the Model 410 and Model 860 laser bonders for enhancing precision pick-up and alignment of VCSELs, with target sites on submounts. A new optional video-image marker creates and stores a fixed video overlay of crosshairs in the form of a bit map. A new optional precising station has been added to the bonder's pick-up pedestal.
Semiconductor Equipment, Moorpark, CA
Chillers
Standard chillers have operating ranges of -20°C to 40°C and cooling capacities of 300 to 5000 W at 15°C. Air- and water-cooled units offer precise temperature control.
Caron, Marietta, OH
Machine-vision software
HexSight 3.0 is a machine-vision software product designed for robot guidance and parts inspection. It offers fast, true geometric-object location in complex images and adverse lighting environments. The software has multimodel capabilities, allowing simultaneous processing of multiple part types in the same image. It includes an automatic model teaching algorithm and multithreaded execution capabilities.
Adept Technologies, San Jose, CA
Multiline laser
The MWL-FL1001-5 is a single multiline laser with precisely controlled output wavelengths. The laser provides five output lines, each separated by 10 nm. A fluoride-glass-fiber laser incorporates a series of Bragg gratings that serve as output couplers. The Bragg gratings determine the center wavelengths and line-shapes of the output. Designed for use in production and development test routines, this multiwavelength source can replace a rack of diode lasers in many process-testing applications.
Thorlabs, Newton, NJ
Pulsed Nd:YAG lasers
Polaris systems are high-performance, flexible, and extremely compact flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser systems. The system offers high output energy of >50 mJ at 20 or 30 HZ, or >90 mJ at 10 or 20 Hz. Beam quality with spatial mode at 1064 is >90% Gaussian. The system has multiple triggering capabilities, optional second-, third-, and fourth-harmonic generators to extend wavelength flexibility, an internal, closed-loop cooling system, and operates on 100- to 240-V ac, 50/60-Hz, single-phase power. A variable voltage switch permits energy reduction during optics alignment.
ATOS GmbH, Pfungstadt, Germany
Imaging camera
The EMCCD is a scientific-grade CCD camera equipped with a proprietary advanced gain-register designed for low-light imaging applications. The solid-state camera has photon-counting ability; is vacuum-cooled, eliminating the need for LN2 cooling; is maintenance-free; and has a five-year guarantee.
Andor Technologies, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Thermoelectric chiller
The compact TEC models (TEC 300 and TEC 600) offer cooling capacities of 300 to 600 W with temperature stabilities of up to ±0.25°C, using magnetically coupled pumps for leak-free operation. The units offer noise levels of less than 40 dB, large-capacity pumps, programmable digital controllers, and are lightweight with a small footprint.
Bay Voltex, Livermore, CA
Far-infrared laser
The ZT-100 is a solid-state, far-infrared laser with 1-W peak power tunable over 1 to 4 THz (70- to 200-µm wavelength, 50 to 140 cm-1 wavenumbers). The laser is compact, robust, insensitive to the environment, and electrically excited. The cavity is permanently aligned, and the system is provided with an integrated far-infrared detector.
Zaubertek, Orlando, FL
Laser welding technology
ClearWeld is new laser welding technology that enables the welding of clear and colored IR-transmitting plastics. It is designed as an alternative to using carbon black to absorb laser energy and converting it to heat in plastics welding. ClearWeld uses Gentex materials in combination with a near-IR laser to generate heat without adding color to the part.
Gentex, Carbondale, PA
Fiberoptic modules
Model-FO-C-F-Series is a new family of fiberoptic connectors for operation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum from .2 to 20 µm. Applications include fiber collimators/focusing, fiber couplers, laser diode to fiber couplers, laser-diode collimators, and laser-diode power combiners. The modules can be used for single or bundled fibers.
Advanced Photonics International, White Plains, NY
Streak camera
The Streak Camera K008 offers streak mode and one frame mode. The K008 has a spectral-sensitivity range of 400 to 800 nm, a 15 x 18-mm large-format photocathode, frame-duration range of 1 x 10-8 to 6 x 10-4, and weighs 3 kg. Applications include laser and fusion research, photochemistry, time-resolved spectroscopy, and synchrotron radiation research.
BIFO, Moscow, Russia
Visible laser diodes
A series of visible laser diodes has been introduced for the wavelength range of 635 to 690 nm. The single-emitting aperture devices have power ranging from 250 mW at 635 nm to 500 mW at 670 nm. They are available in industry-standard packages, including integral TE cooling and fiber pigtailing. The devices are designed for applications such as photodynamic therapy and bio-illumination.
High Power Devices, North Brunswick, NJ
Scanning linear image sensor
The Scanning Linear Image Sensor (SLIS) is designed to be a cost-effective alternative to CCDs without compromising image quality. The SLIS outputs 2048 pixels per line of image data through a single data port in less than 40 µs. It integrates signals on all pixels simultaneously to prevent distortion when imaging moving scenes. The device has a full frame store for real-time readout and permits nondestructive readout for adapting exposure time to the actual scene content.
Photon Vision Systems, Cortland, NY
Si/GaAs PIN photodiodes
The new S8334 and S8335 Si/GaAs PIN photodiodes transmit data over the 0.65/0.8-µm band and were designed for use in fiber-channel and Gigabit Ethernet optical networks. The photodiodes have a dynamic range of -25 to +3 dBm and a data transmission rate of 500 Mbit/s. Both have risetime of 1000 ps and 3-V/mW photosensitivity. Operating temperature range is -20° to +70°C. The S8334 has an active area of φ0.4 mm, is housed in a TO-18 package, and has an integrated transimpedence amplifier. The S8335 has an integrated transimpedence amplifier as well as a receptacle module.
Hamamatsu, Bridgewater, NJ