Compact, high-power, frequency-converted diode laser systems (CoDiS)

ended

Visible lasers are of interest to a wide variety of industries, including life science, lighting, medical, and laser pumping. Existing laser technologies do not offer the combination of intrinsic stability, low noise, high beam quality, high power, and wavelength tuneability. Norlase is a spin-out company from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) set up to develop and commercialize a new class of compact, stable, low-noise visible lasers in the 1-20 W output power range – tapered diode doubled lasers (TDDL) – that provides designers of OEM equipment unique opportunities in terms of performance and cost effectiveness. TDDL is a method of converting infra-red light emitted by diode lasers into visible light. Diode laser technology has strong advantages, but since laser diodes mainly perform well outside the visible spectrum, they have previously been unable to serve applications requiring high-power visible light. TDDL overcomes this limitation by delivering better performance with far more efficient tapered diodes. A key advantage is the wavelength selectivity range; in particular, TDDL can offer wavelengths in the green-yellow region at high power and diffraction-limited output beam. For our customers, access to new wavelengths at competitive pricing is a disruptive change, which will expand existing markets and open new market opportunities for Norlase. Through this CoDiS project, Norlase, together with key partner eagleyard Photonics (EYP), specialized in tapered laser diodes, aim at achieving the required maturation and demonstration of the TDDL technology towards the industrial-scale production of 561 nm (2 W) lasers for medical applications (ophthalmology, dermatology), and phasing in the expansion of the technology towards 577 nm products. The project will significantly increase Norlase’s and EYP competitiveness, opening large market opportunities for the companies – revenues potential over five years of €33.5 and €7.0 million, respectively.