News: Optoelectronics
12 October 2022
ams OSRAM launches 514nm laser diode as small, low-cost alternative to argon-ion lasers
ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany has released the Metal Can PLT5 522FA_P-M12, its first commercial off-the-shelf semiconductor laser emitter to produce the specific 514nm wavelength output required by many applications for life science in research and diagnostics.
The introduction of a 514nm (±1nm) laser diode as a standard, non-custom product enables manufacturers of scientific and measurement equipment to replace the argon-ion lasers that have traditionally been used to generate laser emission at a peak wavelength of 514.5nm. A semiconductor laser such as the PLT5 522FA_P-M12 is in general more cost-effective and much smaller than an argon-ion laser, has a longer operating lifetime, and eliminates the need for a cumbersome water cooling mechanism. The weight of a single-mode laser diode is just a few grams, compared with several kilograms for cooling and the power supply of an argon-ion laser.
Previous attempts to produce laser-diode-based 514nm emitter modules have been hampered by the substantial logistics effort required in the past to customize laser diodes binned by a specific wavelength, notes ams OSRAM. The new 514nm laser diode will enable customers to produce a narrow bandwidth using a volume Bragg grating (VBG) or external cavity design, reducing the bandwidth even further to <0.1nm for applications including Raman spectroscopy and holography.
Picture: ams OSRAM’s first commercial off-the-shelf semiconductor laser emitter, the Metal Can PLT5 522FA_P-M12, produces the specific 514nm wavelength output required by many applications for life science in research and diagnostics.
The PLT5 522FA_P laser diode with 50mW optical power output at 514nm±1nm (Bin M12) is compatible with fluorescent dyes in the 514nm range as well as with various third-party lenses. This makes the laser diode suitable for many applications in the field of life sciences, including:
- flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and spectroscopy;
- material identification and analysis;
- diagnostics;
- DNA sequencing;
- forensic analysis.
The PLT5 522FA_P-M12 laser diode is supplied as standard parts manufactured by ams OSRAM and readily available via authorized sales channels.
“The scientific equipment market will benefit from a sustainable, production-friendly option to replace bulky, expensive argon-ion lasers with no loss of optical precision or performance,” says senior product marketing manager Thomas Brandes. “The 514nm version of the PLT5 522FA_P laser diode family, which maintains performance within its operating parameters with a high degree of precision, provides exactly this option, enabling customers to reduce their materials cost and save space while enjoying the much longer lifetime before replacement of a high-quality laser diode,” he adds.
Samples of the PLT5 522FA_P-M12 laser diode are available now. ams OSRAM is also developing a demonstrator module that combines the laser emitter with a driver and a lens to produce a collimated beam.
