News: Optoelectronics
19 April 2023
TRUMPF showcasing industrial-grade VCSEL lasers for precise optical sensing
In booth 1-156 at Sensor+Test 2023 in Nuremberg (9–11 May), TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH of Ulm, Germany (part of the TRUMPF Group) – which makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes for the consumer electronics, datacoms, industrial sensing, heating and automotive markets – is giving two live demonstrations to showcase the performance of its single-mode VCSEL solutions.
The VCSEL-based sensing components are said to be compact and robust laser sources, supporting industrial optical sensing systems. “Many industrial applications benefit from the continuous innovations in VCSEL technology,” says Ralph Gudde, VP of marketing & sales. “Our approach is to make our VCSEL solutions more rugged and smarter by integrating additional functionalities and, in so doing, to address the high demands of our customers and to enable new applications.”
One live demonstration highlights the capabilities for gas sensing in the 760–766nm wavelength range. The second shows the precise measurement of particulate matter concentration in the air. The solutions are based on innovative technology such as VCSELs with integrated photodiodes (ViP). These not only emit light, but also detect back-scattered light and therefore allow the self-mixing interference measurement method (SMI). Applications such as optical encoders for speed and distance measurements or particle sensors benefit from this technology. TRUMPF provides customers with the option to assess the technical capabilities of the SMI and ViP technology for industrial sensing applications by offering an evaluation board.
Application variety: from gas to speed to particle sensing
Whether oxygen sensing in laboratory and industrial environments, speed and distance measurements in industrial process lines or particulate matter measurements in IoT and indoor applications, all kinds of optical sensor systems rely on VCSEL as laser sources, as they are highly efficient and insensitive to dirt and sunlight, notes TRUMPF. Additionally, the contactless measurement solution is maintenance-free, which supports applications in harsh industrial environments. Easy and safe handling is supported by TRUMPF not only in the offering of components or VCSEL in TO cans but also in further customization with the integration of driver electronics or special optics. This is enabled by in-house assembly processes.
New VCSEL for higher illumination quality
Single-mode VCSEL light sources are said to offer excellent and reliable performance and are available with wavelengths ranging from 760nm to 940nm. For even higher illumination quality, TRUMPF offers solutions with polarization control. Later in 2023, TRUMPF will expand its portfolio of polarized VCSELs and release a large polarization-controlled, single-emitter, single-mode VCSEL component with 2mW output power. This will serve applications like industrial optical encoders and spectroscopy. Evaluation samples will be available from June onwards, and mass production is scheduled for the end of 2023.
