-- Benefits for optical data storage, analytical instrumentation, and reprographics
14 May 2002 -- Blue Sky Research, Milpitas, CA, USA, has demonstrated its patented µLens technology with blue lasers to generate a high power, low-divergence, diffraction-limited beam. The blue source is an important advancement in the rapidly progressing development of a commercially viable blue laser.
To date, it has been difficult to capture all the light power of blue lasers using standard optics. The elliptical blue laser beam must be circularised and focused into collimated beams or spots, as well as for efficient fibre optic coupling.
Now Blue Sky Research will integrate its µLens with blue laser diodes. Mounted directly in front of the diode's emitting edge, the µLens captures nearly 100% of the diode's power, circularising the beam and correcting any aberrations, all in a single step. Many applications stand to benefit from this advancement including reprographics, optical data storage and analytical instrumentation.
Bob Potenza, Senior VP Marketing at Blue Sky, said, "The performance of the µLens has been shown in our CircuLaser product, which has replaced multi-optical-element diode systems and reduced design complexity in countless applications."
Blue Sky Research also plans to offer the µLens-coupled blue laser as a FiberMax pigtailed module, which is a single mode output fibre in an ultra-compact package designed for high performance. The modules comprise precision-machined components optimised for high thermal stability, while the µLens technology eliminates the need for complex multi-element optics, prism pairs, or hard beam-aperturing.
Blue Sky Research will be demonstrating their µLens-coupled blue lasers at Booth 562 at the 22nd annual Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO 2002), held May 19-24, 2002 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.
www.blueskyresearch.com