Lasers for metrology
Lasers for metrology
Our specially developed laser diodes are used directly or integrated into laser modules as light sources in optical measurement technology.
They can be used for a wide range of applications, from monochromatic illumination - for example to monitor the pantographs of electric vehicles - to interferometric optical distance measurement, which can be used for laser trackers in aircraft construction. We use the principle of interferometry paired with photon entanglement in our quantum light modules to carry out measurements with “undetected photons”. This allows spatial information to be recorded and used, for example in optical coherence tomography (OCT) on ceramics. Spectral information can also be evaluated, for example in environmental analysis to detect microplastics in water. Tissue analysis in cancer detection in medical technology also benefits from these two properties.
Laser micromodule with fiber optic connection for use in a sensor head of a high-resolution quantum OCT-spectrometer
SPDC-micromodule for generating entangled photons, which can be used to analyze material characteristics in the MIR spectral range without MIR detection
Blue-emitting laser sources for wide-field Raman imaging
... enable fast, stain-free and non-invasive tissue diagnostics. For this purpose, we have developed diode lasers whose wavelength is stabilized at 460 nm. They open up new possibilities to evaluate tissue clinically with functional Raman images during a surgical procedure, such as tumor margins in cancer medicine. This allows surgical interventions to be carried out precisely and in considerably less time.
Helium-neon laser replacement for optical interferometry
Today, coherent and absolutely frequency-stabilized lasers form the basis for many applications in metrology, manufacturing technology, medicine, and quantum optics. Very precise distance measurement and the provision of frequency and length standards are particularly important for metrology. Optical distance measurement is based on the principle of interferometry and requires high coherence and high absolute frequency accuracy of the light source. In such applications, outdated systems with HeNe lasers are still used today, with fundamental limitations in terms of size, wavelength, and power. The size of these lasers currently prevents the development of measuring instruments that are more compact and offer greater functionality.
In a joint project, the three partners TOPTICA Photonics AG from Munich, the Berlin-based Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, and Hexagon from Stockholm (Sweden) as an associated partner have developed a new type of compact laser head that emits light at 633 nm. The system achieves absolute frequency stability in the range of 10-8. Its suitability for use in interferometric measurement technology was demonstrated in a real application environment (so-called “laser tracker”).
Quantum light modules
Our quantum light modules use the principle of entangled photon pairs, which are brought to interference in a non-linear interferometer. The entanglement of a photon in the mid-infrared range (MIR) with a photon in the near-infrared range (NIR) enables metrological access to the MIR-range. Only the NIR-photons are detected. Neither detectors nor radiation sources in the MIR-range are required.
This measurement with “undetected” photons opens up completely new possibilities for the miniaturization of MIR-measurement technology. For such quantum light modules, we integrate novel laser diodes and micro-optical elements together with a non-linear optical crystal in the smallest possible space.