Advancements in several new laser technologies are opening new
opportunities in the part of the spectrum between telecom lasers and the
nascent terahertz range, called the mid-infrared. This range is
currently dominated by applications in materials processing and medical
procedures, but new military and sensing applications will add sizeable
and exciting opportunities in the next few years. The new segments will
grow 30% per year, compounded annually through 2014. But, the mid-IR
range remains a complex and confusing segment, with competition from
other laser and non-laser solutions, and with many companies ripe for
acquisition. These are among the findings in a new report, Mid-Infrared
Lasers 2010, from Strategies Unlimited, the leader in market
research of the photonics industry.
The mid-infrared is best known for being a covert and eye-safe range,
for the thermal vibrations of molecules (used in sensing and thermal
imaging), and for the cheap photons of high-power CO2 lasers.
CO2 lasers today dominate the sales, from 10 Watt lasers
using sealed gas tubes to multi-kilowatt lasers using flowing gas
blowers, for use in materials processing. Solid-state lasers are also
established in medical applications.
Next to come are high-brightness sources for military applications:
infrared countermeasures against heat-seeking missiles, illuminators for
thermal imaging, mid-IR beacons, and so forth. These military
applications are key to funding the new mid-infrared technologies while
other applications get off the ground. Another long-awaited segment is
sensing for molecular detection, with many exciting new opportunities in
environmental monitoring, industrial process controls, security standoff
detection of hazardous chemicals, and new breathalyzer instruments for
medical diagnostics. Other sensor applications include mid-infrared
rangefinding and Doppler scatterometry.
But, mid-infrared laser suppliers face many unique challenges.
Mid-infrared components are expensive because of requirements for exotic
materials and coatings, cryogenic cooling, and low manufacturing
volumes. Lasers have been bulky and the output power of compact laser
solutions has been low. And, the new technologies face challenges from
other laser and nonlaser technologies, such as Raman spectroscopy,
near-infrared laser and LED sources, lamps, and non-optical approaches.
Now, new solutions in quantum cascade and interband cascade lasers, GaSb
diode lasers and OPSLs, fiber lasers, solid-state lasers, and compact
OPOs promise to expand sales into new applications. Other innovations
will also help the market, such as inexpensive QEPAs, uncooled focal
plane arrays, and hollow-core optical fibers. The report lists over 50
companies offering lasers in the mid-IR range, spanning the technologies
listed above, as well as legacy technologies. Well more than half of the
companies are headquartered in North America. With such a wide range of
suppliers and applications, the market is highly fragmented and there is
no overall leader. Some industries prefer to bring differentiating
technology in-house, making several laser suppliers targets for
acquisition.
Mid-Infrared Lasers is the latest in a series of reports
on lasers for industrial and consumer applications. It is the only
market report to cover mid-infrared lasers. Founded in 1979, Strategies
Unlimited specializes in market research and strategic consulting
directed at photonics systems and components. Other recent reports by
Strategies Unlimited cover: lasers for materials processing, ultrafast
lasers, LEDs, LED lighting systems, optical molecular imaging, OCT, and
image sensors. The company, based in Mountain View, California, is a
research unit of PennWell Corporation, a global media and information
company. PennWells many brands include Laser Focus World, Industrial
Laser Solutions, LED Magazine, Bio Optics World, Vision
Systems Design, Photovoltaics World, Solid State
Technology, and Lightwave.
For more information, contact Strategies Unlimited at +1 650941-3438
(voice) or e-mail at info@strategies-u.com,
or check the companys web site at www.strategies-u.com.

Source: Business Wire