Many types of laser diodes (LDs) were displayed at OPIE’15, which took place last month in Yokohama, Japan. LD can be classified into gas laser, YAG lasers, semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers and others.

Laser manufacturer Hamamatsu Photonics has 60 years of experience in optic technology, and the company’s light source products include LED and LD components and accessories. Optical system developments for example include spectrometers, which is mainly applied in industry control processes, and medical diagnosis, such as breath analyzers.

The products displayed include IR and UV laser. The IR laser products are 760nm DFB with a wavelength range design between 759 to 763 nm, and linewidth below 13 MHZ can be driven to 25 mW between power ranging from 120mA to below 0.5V. The 760nm wavelength is especially suitable for medical and oxygen analysis, while the 915 nm F-mount (L13400) wavelength power efficiency is 13W (12.3A, 1.7V) and conversion efficiency reached 60%.

Hamamatsu Photonics products displayed at OPIE'15. (LEDinside)

UV PLD (Pulsed laser diode; L13396) products utilize 350 nm wavelengths. The product advantages are its small size and light weight. It is mainly applied in spectrometer analysis, biochemistry, medicine, and microprocessing.

(LEDinside)

USIO displayed white and red laser light sources at Laser Expo 2015.

Ushio displayed white and red laser light sources at OPIE'15. (LEDinside)

Visible laser is usually red laser and RGB laser. Red laser wavelengths are usually 638nm, and a 5.6 mm package can reach 700 mW, and be applied in laser projectors. The product’s advantages include its high power, and high efficiency.

Laser diode for laser projector. (LEDinside)

RGB Laser basically use primary colors to generate 250 lm and 750 lm white lights, which integrated with Necsel Intelligent Controller is mainly used to control long distance lighting, landscape lighting, medical examination, projectors, and marine lighting applications.

RGB White Matrix Laser. (LEDinside)

SOC Showa Optotronics displayed a lot of laser lenses including applications for Ti: Sapphire Laser Diodes, which have a wavelength between 670-950 nm, and reflectivity of 99%.

Top: SOC Showa Optotronics booth at OPIE'15. Bottom: SOC Showa Optronics laser optic products. (LEDinside)

LEDinside’s perspective:

Solid-state lasers can be classified into YAG laser, semiconductor lasers, fiber laser and laser diodes. Laser applications include cutting, slicing, welding processing, laser scalpel, thermal processing, projectors and other products. Following the rise of 3D printing, material processing and laser applications have also further expanded.

Laser applications have a huge market share in industry applications, whether it is in traditional industrial, Computer, Communication and Consumer Electronic Industry, semiconductors, ship construction, steel frame bridge construction, automotive and aerospace applications. How to use lasers for high precision processing or revolutionary structural changes to emerge from market competition and improve product quality, while lowering costs will no doubt make lasers a crucial tool in the future.

(Author: Joanne Wu, Assistant Manager, Research Division, LEDinside/Translator: Judy Lin, Chief Editor, LEDinside)