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This section provides an overview for sld light sources as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 8 sld light source manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked sld light source companies as of December, 2024: 1.Thorlabs, Inc, 2.Yangtze Optical Electronic Co., Ltd, 3.FiberLabs Incorporated.
Table of Contents
An SLD light source is a broadband light source that has the characteristics of both a light-emitting diode (LED) and a semiconductor laser (LD).
SLD stands for "super luminescent diode" and combines a broad spectrum like a light-emitting diode, and high brightness like a semiconductor laser.
However, unlike semiconductor lasers, SLDs are also characterized by low coherence. Because of these characteristics, SLDs are widely used in measuring machines and sensor devices.
SLD light sources are used in the following equipment, taking advantage of the two characteristics of LEDs and LDs.
OCT, also called optical coherence tomography, is an instrument that uses light interference to measure a tomographic image of an object. It can measure the interior of an object without touching it. Compared to X-rays, which can also observe the inside of an object, OCT has higher resolution and no risk of radiation exposure.
This is a microscope that observes surface conditions by moving a pointer on the surface of a material and measuring the interatomic force between the pointer and the material. Compared to an optical microscope, it has a very high resolution and can even check the atomic-level irregularities on the surface.
This section describes the principle behind the light emitted by an SLD light source.
Like LEDs and LDs, SLD light sources emit light when a forward voltage is applied to the pn junction. When they are excited, there are many electrons in the conduction band and holes in the valence band. The energy generated in the process of recombination of these electrons and holes is emitted as light.
Thus, SLDs, like LEDs and LDs, generate light, but they differ from the two in that they amplify the generated light. The spectral width of SLDs is wider than that of LDs, but narrower than that of LEDs. Thus, SLDs can have characteristics that fall somewhere in between those of LEDs and LDs.
This principle enables SLDs to emit light with a broad spectrum like LEDs and coherence like LDs, making them an ideal light source for medical and research applications.
OCT stands for optical coherence tomography, a technology that uses light interference to measure the surface roughness of an object or a tomographic image of a living body in a nondestructive and non-contact manner.
OCT makes it possible to obtain cross-sectional images of the human body without taking X-rays.
The SLD Light Source is an indispensable component of OCT.
OCT light sources must have low temporal coherence and high spatial coherence.
First, let us introduce temporal coherence. Laser light is a monochromatic light emitting at a fixed wavelength and propagating as a sinusoidal wave in the direction of light propagation. Since the intensity of this sinusoidal wave is maintained over a long distance, multiple beams of light are generated along the direction of light propagation that are separated by an integer multiple of the wavelength. This is observed as noise, and LED light is more suitable for OCT light sources than laser light because of its lower temporal coherence.
Next, we introduce spatial coherence. Laser light has excellent spatial linearity, so it is easy to illuminate a desired light intensity. However, in the case of LED light, it is difficult to illuminate a desired object with a desired amount of light because of the strong diffusion of light.
Therefore, SLD light sources, which have both properties, are attracting attention as a light source of low temporal coherence and high spatial coherence.
As with LDs and LEDs, the emission wavelength of an SLD Light Source is determined by the band gap of the semiconductor material used. Semiconductors with a large band gap enable the development of light sources with short wavelengths, while semiconductors with a small band gap enable the development of light sources with long wavelengths.
As mentioned above, the SLD light source is expected to be applied to OCT. This is because there is a region where water absorption is minimal at wavelengths between 1 and 1.1 μm, commonly known as the biological window, and high SNR may be obtained by applying OCT near the biological window while reducing the effect of water in the human body.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Thorlabs, Inc, established in Newton, NJ in 1989, is a manufacturer of photonics equipment for research, manufacturing, and biomedical applications. Their product portfolio includes optical components, for use in imaging, sensing, and spectroscopy applications, spectrometers and analyzers used for research and industrial applications, fiber optic components and photomultiplier tubes, and imaging devices that capture and measure light signals for diverse applications in scientific research. The company has sales offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, China, and Brazil.
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., established in 1953 and headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a manufacturer of sensors and emitters for both visible and invisible light. It stocks products like LEDs, lamps, and photodiodes used in several industries, including consumer electronics, dental imaging, and environmental monitoring. The sensor and light source components are also available as modules and units that can be incorporated into systems the company develops, like optical measurement systems or imaging systems. The ISO 9001-certified company stocks over 15,000 devices, units, and systems that ship to over 100 destinations worldwide, and it has ten research and production bases.
Synergy Optosystems Co., Ltd., established in 2007 with headquarters in Hamamatsu City, Japan, is a manufacturer of precision optical measurement equipment. The company's product line includes monocular and small body type simplified optical measurement optics, underfilled launch optical systems, mode-selective type launch optical systems, and microspot irradiation optics for YAG laser welding systems. These products have numerous measurement and analysis applications in scientific fields such as optical communications, optical interconnections, optoelectronics, new materials, and biotechnology.
SIMTRUM Pte., Ltd. is a Singapore-based manufacturing company established in 2019 that provides a new E-commerce platform in the photonics industry integrated with their revolutionary cloud-based simulation software (SaaS) to provide customers with an upgraded purchase experience. The company’s platform integrates supply chains in the photonics industry to provide great deal products to its customers. Its main teams are all from the field of photonics, concentrating on the fields of spectroscopy and microscopy. Passionate about photonics and life, it builds photonics platform so that everyone can more easily access photonics-related technologies and products with better cost-effectiveness.
Yangtze Optical Electronic Co., Ltd, founded in China in 2010, is a supplier of special optical fibers and cables, special optical devices, new materials, high-end equipment, and optoelectronic systems. The company is mainly engaged in measurement calibration and testing services for optoelectronic first-level metering stations, and fiber optic rings used in fiber optic gyroscopes. It is the only enterprise in China that connects the upstream and downstream industrial chains of fiber optic coils.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thorlabs, Inc |
30.8%
|
| 2 | Yangtze Optical Electronic Co., Ltd |
15.4%
|
| 3 | FiberLabs Incorporated |
15.4%
|
| 4 | SIMTRUM Pte. Ltd. |
15.4%
|
| 5 | Superlum |
7.7%
|
| 6 | SYNERGY OPTOSYSTEMS CO., LTD |
7.7%
|
| 7 | Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. |
7.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the sld light source page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
3 | 37.5% |
|
China
|
2 | 25.0% |
|
United States of America
|
1 | 12.5% |
|
Singapore
|
1 | 12.5% |
Ireland
|
1 | 12.5% |
2 products found
2 products
Optoscience Co., Ltd.
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