Excellent laser.

The PRONTO-250-EZ laser power meter from Gentec-EO was honored with the Silver Laser Focus World Innovators Award at SPIE Photonics West 2026. Each year, the jury presents this prestigious award to recognize particularly practical and forward-looking new developments in laser technology.

The PRONTO-250-EZ features a novel, flat EZ absorber. Using nanotechnology, Gentec-EO has developed a surface that is significantly easier to clean and considerably reduces the risk of contamination-related damage. The new absorber layer is a refinement and improvement of the H-coating used in the previous PRONTO-250-Flex model. It can withstand even higher power densities, which makes the PRONTO-250-EZ the ideal solution for industrial, medical, and research applications.

The robust laser power meter is extremely versatile: it measures laser powers from 0.5 W to 250 W in the UV (248 nm) to near-infrared (2.5 µm) spectral range. An optional additional calibration is available for the CO₂ wavelength of 10.6 µm.

This winning handheld measuring device exclusively available from Laser Components.

---

@GentecEO @LaserComponents #PAuto #SPIE

Innovative optical quantum clock wins.

TOPTICLOCK has been awarded the 2026 SPIE Prism Award. The award in the Quantum Tech category was presented during a ceremony at Photonics West 2026 in San Francisco (CA USA), recognising outstanding achievements in photonics innovation. TOPTICLOCK is the first fully integrated, commercially available optical quantum clock based on a laser-cooled, single trapped Yb⁺ ion.

Housed in two robust 19” industrial rack units, it delivers a new benchmark in transportable frequency standards with relative frequency instability and accuracy at the 10⁻¹⁷ level. Designed for remote operation, it provides a stable optical frequency standard output at 871 nm, enabling seamless integration with optical frequency combs to realise rf or pulse per second outputs for timekeeping and advanced synchronisation.

LtoR: Mark Tolbert, CEO, Dr. Thomas Renner, President & CSO, Toptica, Dr. Stephan Ritter Senior Director, Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders President, Founder & CTO, and Dr. Jürgen Stuhler, VP Quantum Technologies. (Pic: SPIE and Joey Cobbs,TOPTICA Photonics SE)

“The transition from scientific instruments to be operated by expert personnel in academic laboratories into an industrial product for real-world environments has long been a goal for optical quantum clocks,” said Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders, President and founder of TOPTICA. “With TOPTICLOCK, we are closing this gap – making the world's most precise commercial time and frequency reference. We have already deployed first units at customer sites for high-end applications in navigation, metrology, and fundamental science.”

“We thank all people at TOPTICA who have been contributing to master this challenging endeavor and are grateful for the of the ongoing support from German national metrology institute PTB. A special thanks goes to our first lead customer for his trust in our capabilities to build the first version of TOPTICLOCK and the German ministry of science, technology and space (formerly named ministry for education and research) and the collaboration partners for funding and working on a predecessor research project “opticlock”, in which a first demonstrator of a single Yb+ ion clock was successfully realised.” adds Dr. Jürgen Stuhler, Vice President of Quantum Technologies and former coordinator of opticlock.

Unlike microwave-based cesium or optical rubidium clocks, TOPTICLOCK significantly outperforms hydrogen masers and other commercial frequency standards in both stability and accuracy. It was developed as a turnkey solution for users who demand cutting-edge performance without needing deep quantum technology expertise – combining push-button operation, auto-calibration, and user-definable sequences. Applications include:

• National and international time services (UTC) and contributions to TAI (Temps Atomique International)
• Network synchronization and long-term holdover in GNSS-denied environments (Global Navigation Satellite System)
• Satellite navigation and space-based infrastructure
• Fundamental quantum metrology and highest precision physics

TOPTICLOCK marks the company’s first complete commercial quantum technology solution, building on the company’s 30 years of expertise in narrow linewidth laser systems and optical frequency control.

---

@TOPTICA_AG @PresseBox #Pauto #Photonics

Award for white light source and IR emitter in one.

LaserLight SMD W-IR, the world's first white light chip with a switching function, received the Prism Award 2021 from SPIE. On command, the light source transforms into an IR emitter with 905 nm or 850 nm. Both light sources are housed on the same 7 × 7 mm chip. SMDs are optionally available with a starboard to facilitate mounting on the circuit board. 

This chip is distributed in Europe and the USA by Laser Components.

With a luminous flux of 450 lumens and a luminance of 1000 Mcd / m², the KYOCERA SLD Laser product offers all the advantages of LaserLight white light technology, such as a long range and narrow beam angle, even in this dual function. The IR wavelengths are emitted with an output power of 250 mW.

The IR wavelengths of the SMD W-IR are mainly used in motion sensors, night vision cameras, and other professional security systems. This new development opens up numerous application possibilities. Instead of placing motion sensors and lighting in two different components, one element can perform both functions. For example, a surveillance camera automatically illuminates the corresponding area as soon as it detects something suspicious.

@LCGermany @PresseBox #PAuto #Security

Fluorescence Spectrometer for North American launch!

The US launch of a new, low-cost, high performance fluorescence spectrometer from Edinburgh Instruments is to occur at BioS 2014 and Photonics West 2014, 1-6 February 2014. They will demonstrate the operational capabilities of the analytical instrument live at the shows.

A fully integrated steady state spectrometer with single photon sensitivity, the FS5 is designed for the research and analytical market. It has a number of features that are unique in its class of fluorescence spectrometers, including:

 

·        Single photon sensitivity

·        High data acquisition speed and High Dynamic Range

·        Comprehensive yet easy to operate software

·        Unmatched range of plug and play sample cassette options.

The FS5 is an extension of Edinburgh Instruments’ portfolio of state-of-the-art spectrometer products. The instrument has been designed with the background of more than 35 years of experience in the field of fluorescence spectroscopy.