Worldwide laser market to exceed $3 billion by 2008
The worldwide market for all types of lasers is estimated to be just over $2 billion in 2003. Rising at an average annual growth rate of 9.1 percent, the market is expected to cross $3 billion by 2008, say analysts at Business Communications Company Inc. in Norwalk, Conn. Revenue from diode-pumped solid-state lasers will show the strongest growth, rising by 14.8 percent to $490.5 million in 2008. Lamp-pumped lasers, meanwhile, represent the largest market, growing by 8 percent to reach $980.9 million by 2008, say the analysts. Within solid-state lasers, the type most commonly used in applications is Nd:YAG, with either a flash-lamp-pumped or diode-pumped configuration. The Nd:YAG currently holds 50 to 65 percent of the market of crystals for all solid-state lasers. Other crystals such as Nd:YLF or Nd:YVO4 account for about 10 percent of the solid-state market. The rest of the market comes from other rare-earth or transition-metal-based systems. This data comes from the Business Communications study RGB-292, Solid State, Gas and Dye Lasers: Outlook for the Future. For more information contact the company at www.bccresearch.com.
Newport Web site offers data files compatible with CAD programs
Newport Corp. in Irvine, Calif., is offering online access to a library of 2-D and 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models that will allow users to download files of Newport positioners, mounts, and other optomechanical products and use the files in CAD programs such as AutoCad or SolidWorks. The models are available in formats that are usable in popular CAD, CAE, and solid modeling programs. Formats include SLDASM, DWG, STEP, IGS, and DXF. For more information contact www.newport.com.
Researchers to eliminate electrical conversions with all-optical data router
U.S. defense researchers are looking to Lucent Technologies of Whippany, N.J., to develop an optical data switch that eliminates the need for optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversions. Lucent experts are working under supervision of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., to develop an optical data router (ODR) based on wavelength switching and routing using densely integrated optical components. The router will provide technology for dynamic routing and packet switching optical networks that keep data in the optical domain and eliminate optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversions. Lucent is working under terms of a $12.5 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., which awarded the contract on behalf of DARPA.
JPSA offers beam-delivery system for UV lasers
J P Sercel Associates (JPSA) Inc., a laser technology company in Hollis, N.H., is offering the Microtech tabletop modular UV-laser beam-delivery (MBD) and microscope camera system for materials-processing research. The system is a flexible beam-delivery platform that can be mounted on a standard optical breadboard for applications such as lithography, selective material removal, 3-D micromachining, high-precision drilling, cutting, marking, and surface scanning. It offers precision optomechanics for exact repeatability; on-target process viewing with zoom control; continuously variable demagnification and on-target fluence; 0.4X to 20X demagnification and micron-resolution optics; and a beam homogenizer for intensity-profile control. For more information contact JPSA by at 603-595-7048, or online at www.jpsalaser.com.
