News

24 January 2007

 

JDSU extends fiber-coupled diode laser range to 8W; launches commercial laser with telecom-based architecture

At this week’s Photonics West show in San Jose, JDSU of Milpitas, CA, USA is showcasing a series of next-generation high-power diode lasers, including additions and enhancements to its L3 series of fiber-coupled diode lasers. New launches include:

• The 6397-L3 Series high-power 8W 9xxnm fiber-coupled diode laser is a next-generation single-emitter laser diode that delivers 8W from a 105µm fiber at 915, 940 and 975nm wavelengths for industrial and medical applications, extending JDSU’s fiber-laser pump power by more than 20%.
• The 2495-L3 Series 808nm fiber-coupled diode laser provides the highest available 808nm power at 5W from a 105µm fiber, it is claimed, and offers a highly reliable alternative to fiber-coupled diode laser arrays for pumping Nd-doped solid-state lasers and medical and dental applications.
• The 2486-L3 Series 830nm fiber-coupled diode laser offers 2W from a 60µm fiber into 0.2 numerical aperture (NA), for photonics power and graphic arts applications.
• The 6395-L3 Series 940nm fiber-coupled diode laser offers 2.5W from a 50µm fiber into 0.2NA, for graphic arts and materials processing applications.
• The 5400 Series J-package extends JDSU’s 8xxnm single-mode diode laser portfolio into a reduced-cost, small form-factor package. Used for a variety of graphic arts, night-vision and spectroscopic applications, the J-package device is available at 810, 830 and 850nm wavelengths and rated output powers of 50 and 100mW.

“A transition is underway within the industrial laser industry towards highly reliable, telecom-grade diode pump lasers,” says Toby Strite, manager, High Power Laser Marketing. 

Also at Photonics West, JDSU presented two papers: ‘High-Power, High-Efficiency Laser Diodes at JDSU’ and ‘Very High Power 1330 nm InP Single Mode Distributed Feedback Laser Diode with Reduced Linewidth’.

* Commercial laser with telecom-based architecture

JDSU has also launched the FCD488, a continuous wave 10 and 20mW 488nm laser available in either free-space or fiber-delivered output configurations. JDSU claims it is the first telecom-based visible solid-state laser for biomedical, industrial and semiconductor applications.  

Rather than designs based on free-space optics and specialized manufacturing, the FCD488 uses a telecom-based, all-in-fiber design platform that capitalizes on high-volume manufacturing processes, resulting in increased product stability and reliability, JDSU claims.

The firm adds that the fiber-based architecture reduces the complexity of instrument design and manufacturing, resulting in faster time to market and reduced need for realignment (and hence lower cost of ownership).

The compact package size (a third of the size used in leading competitive architectures, it is claimed) addresses the trend towards smaller end-user device packaging used in biomedical, industrial and semiconductor applications. All control electronics are packaged within the laser head.

The electrical efficiency equates to less than a third of the heat dissipation in current market offerings, JDSU claims. No heat sink is needed, facilitating integration and enabling smaller, desktop-size instruments.

Also, the FCD488 uses components from JDSU’s telecom portfolio, such as diode lasers with a lifetime in excess of 100,000 hours.

“Typically, high-precision commercial laser applications have labored under a highly customized environment which can be a time-consuming process,” says Phillip Meredith, senior VP and general manager for JDSU’s commercial lasers product group. “With the introduction of FCD488, JDSU provides a telecom-based commercial laser platform that offers improved design flexibility, electrical efficiency and increased reliability,” he adds.

See related item:

JDSU's revenue exceeds guidance, driven by Communications Test and Measurement

Visit: http://www.jdsu.com