This section provides an overview for laser light sources as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 65 laser light source manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked laser light source companies as of June, 2023: 1.Laser Components, 2.Spectra-Physics, 3.Thorlabs.
Table of Contents
A laser light source is a light source that emits laser light.
A laser is a highly directional light with a single wavelength and a high degree of photon wavelength identity. It has superior energy concentration compared to ordinary light. There are various laser light sources, ranging from semiconductor lasers suitable for projector light sources to YAG lasers, CO2 lasers, excimer lasers, and argon lasers suitable for cutting and processing objects. Lasers are classified into solid-state, semiconductor, and gas, based on the shape of the material they operate on.
Laser light sources are used for a wide variety of means. The applications vary depending on the type.
Due to its long life and easy handling characteristics, it can be used as a projection light source for projectors.
The YAG laser, a common solid-state laser, is used for laser processing, such as cutting and drilling of metals and various other materials; due to its optical characteristics, the YAG laser is not suitable for processing transparent materials.
In contrast to YAG lasers, CO2 lasers are suitable for processing transparent materials but are not suitable for processing metals.
Laser light sources use as its light source light that is excited by giving energy to the molecules of the laser medium. When a laser source is given intense energy, a certain number of atoms in the laser medium enter an excited state.
Laser light sources are constructed with a mirror on the side where the light source is installed to cause light amplification and a partially reflecting mirror on the side where the laser light is emitted. The light excited by optical amplification is reflected by the partial reflection mirror and continues to reflect through the laser light sources while repeating optical amplification many times, finally passing through the transmission part of the partial reflection mirror as a high-energy laser beam.
In addition to directionality, monochromaticity, and energy density, laser light sources have characteristic of being in phase (waveform of light), which causes interference when they hit an object. This characteristic is used in laser interferometers and other distance-measuring instruments. Ordinary light is a mixture of various types of light with different phases, which basically makes interference difficult to occur.
There are various laser light sources, each of which can be classified by wavelength. Excimer lasers have wavelengths ranging from 150 to 308 nm, argon lasers from 488 nm, ruby lasers from 694.3 nm, YAG lasers from 1,064 nm, and CO2 lasers from 10,600 nm. The difference in wavelength is the difference in absorption rate when irradiated onto an object. Different absorption rates result in different temperatures.
Wavelength conversion is possible by using nonlinear optical crystals for the fundamental waves of the above lasers. For example, the fundamental wavelength of a YAG laser is 1,064 nm, and when passed through a nonlinear optical crystal, light with wavelengths of 532 nm at the second harmonic, 355 nm at the third harmonic, and 266 nm at the fourth harmonic can be extracted. It is also possible to create parametric oscillators with tunable wavelengths.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Motion X Corporation was established in 2002 by a group of industry professionals with extensive applied experience in designing, manufacturing, and supporting turnkey motion control systems and subsystems. The company is headquartered in Goleta, California near the University of California, Santa Barbara. The company is a designer and manufacturer of motional control systems and provider of motion control services for customers worldwide, serving industries including semiconductor, data storage, aerospace, microscopy, and photonics. The company also performs contract manufacturing services, fulfilling outsourcing manufacturing requests.
AMADA WELD TECH is a subsidiary of AMADA WELD TECH Co., LTD, which was founded in 1972. AMADA is based in Southern California and is a manufacturer of equipment and systems for resistance welding, hot bar bonding, laser marking, and other laser cutting services for industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, and photonics. AMADA is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Examples of AMADA products include machines and systems for resistance welding, laser cutting, hermetic steam sealing, laser micromachining, and more.
Ohio Power Tool, Inc was founded in Columbus, OH in 1983. OPT has 3 primary operating segments: sales, rental, and repair. Sales and rental segments include air compressors and other air tools, concrete & masonry saws, concrete core drills, cordless and electric corded tools, gas detection, generators, hand tools, hydraulic cylinders and pumps, inspection equipment, jobsite cleanup equipment, ladders and lifting equipment, levels, pipe cutting & threading equipment, as well as safety and storage equipment. The repair segment includes testing and recalibration and uses factory parts.
Stanley Supply, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Long Island City, New York. The company serves the construction, manufacturing, and maintenance industries as a distributor of commercial and residential construction tools and materials. ITW, Powers Fasteners, Diamond Products, and Elco Construction Products are a few of the company’s suppliers. The company sells products in 8 categories including missionary and chemical anchors, gas fastening, drill bits, and safety products.
Isotech was founded in 182 and is headquartered in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Isotech is a manufacturer’s representative and distributor of proprietary mechanical and electromechanical products to the industrial, medical, and military OEM and in-plant markets. Some of Isotech’s products include linear slide assemblies & rail sets, shock/vibration mounts & pads, linear bushings & shafting, telescoping lifting columns, positioning stages, air bearings, gas springs/air cylinders, motorized positioning tables, laser marking cutting systems, foamed aluminum/metal/composites, stamped metal, noise control products, and belt driven actuators.
No Time Delay Electronics (NTD Electronics) is based out of Lake Forest, California. NTD Electronics is an independent kitting house and broadline stocking distributor that connects countless customers with over 1000 manufacturers worldwide. NTD Electronics offers products from many categories including amplifiers, cables, capacitors, circuit breakers and accessories, fuses, fuse accessories and fuse holders, PTC resettable fuses, coils, connectors, crystals, diodes, fans, fuses, hardware, heatsinks, inductors, integrated circuits, potentiometers, relays, resistors, switches, transformers, transistors, trimmers, and wire.
Sterling Machinery Exchange (Sterling) was founded in 1954 and is based in South El Monte, California. Sterling is a distributor for new and used machinery and purchases used equipment, primarily for industrial and manufacturing uses. Types of machinery the company offers include air compressors, boring mills, deburring machines, lathes, and stretch forming machines. The company offers both new and used equipment as well as a buyer's guide for purchasing assistance. The company also purchases used equipment.
Newport is a division of MKS Instruments, Inc. that was incorporated in 1961 and headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts. The company is a manufacturing company that serves the specialty industrial, advanced electronics, and semiconductor industries. The company markets its products through Spectra-Physics, MKS Instruments, Richardson Grating, and other brands. Their product categories include motion, optomechanics, optics, and vacuum instruments. Product categories include lasers, MKS vacuum & gas solutions, laser diode controls, and tables & isolation systems.
Laurel Industries is a manufacturer of standard and custom optical instruments, founded in 1976, and headquartered in Highland Park, Illinois. They offer lenses, optical elements, prisms, wedges, crystal optics, and more. These products are used in various industries and applications such as photography, microscopy, laser technology, and more, providing precise light control, manipulation, and redirection for industries requiring optical precision. Its products are utilized in photoelectric controls, night vision systems, weapon systems, laser alignment, scanning systems, and others.
Kern Laser Systems is a manufacturer of laser machinery based in Wadena, MN, and has been in operation since 1982. All of their machinery is made in the USA. Their machinery is suitable for marking and cutting various materials, including acrylic, mild steel, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, wood, foam, rubber, stone, and textiles. Kern Laser Systems offers both large and small format, fully enclosed, and fiber laser machinery. They also offer dual laser high-production machinery.
Federal Radio and Television, now known as Federal Electronics, was founded in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1948. They were established by Romolo Evangelista and initially sold and maintained electric machinery and appliances. Federal Electronics is now an Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) supplier with offices in Rhode Island and Mexico. They engage in electronic contract manufacturing that is adaptable and configurable. Their services include but are not limited to, fiber optic interconnects, box builds, and systems integration.
OEwaves, established in 2000 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California is a manufacturer of microwave photonic components and subsystems for defense, space, and commercial applications. Their products include laser modules, photonic sensors, frequency synthesizers, and opto-electronic components. These products find applications in areas such as optical communications, radar systems, spectroscopy, and precision measurement. OEwaves holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has received numerous awards, including two prestigious SPIE Prism Awards, as well as the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award.
MeshTel are manufacturers and suppliers of laser, and electro-optics products, established in 1990 in Genoa, USA, where they specialize in the production of various laser modules, systems, laser components, and fiber optics. They provide laser elements and ship them promptly on order. They also accommodate the casting and assembling of any laser-related components discontinued from the market. MeshTel is also known as Intelite INC. and is recognized for merchandise and manufacture of commercially used laser-associated instruments such as diodes, galvanometers, laser projection hardware and software, and essentials. These tools are allied with communication solutions, along with laser displays, and systems.
Seminex Corporation, founded in 2003 in Massachusetts, designs and manufactures infrared laser diodes and optical amplifiers used for automotive, military, medical, and industrial settings. The company produces the latest high-power lasers such as 1550 nm Triple Junction laser diodes for ToF LiDAR and Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs) for FMCW LiDAR in the chip, array, and surmount designs, with all diode laser products customizable in various powers and wavelengths to meet customer specifications.
Hildebrand Machine Company, Inc was founded in 19773 and operates out of York, Pennsylvania. Hildebrand Machine Company is a distributor and trader of new and used metalworking machinery in machine/equipment and tooling categories. Air compressors, balancers, blast cabinets, lathe chucks, coolant tanks, drill presses, arm drills, dust collectors, polishing machines, engine lathes, and rotary tables are among the machinery listings. Tooling includes angle plates, boring tools, broaching, counterbores, grinder tooling, punch and dies, tapping, tool holders, and vises.
HORIBA RADIO LABORATORY was established in Japan in 1945 and has spent the last three-quarters of a century growing as an R&D company and engaged in international operations. HORIBA Scientific offers 200 years of experience developing high-performance scientific instruments and analytical solutions. The HORIBA Group of worldwide companies provides an extensive array of instruments and systems for applications ranging from automotive R&D, process and environmental monitoring, in-vitro medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing, and metrology to a broad range of scientific R&D and QC measurements. Operating in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, HORIBA scientific develops solutions that go beyond just products.
Frankfurt Laser Company (FLC) is a supplier and distributor of semiconductor lasers as well as laser diodes and modules based in Friedrichsdorf, Germany. Founded in 1994, the company stocks lasers utilizing the full range of sources — from UV to IR and far-IR — for use in the medical, research, and industrial sectors. Aside from lasers, the company also stocks superluminescent diodes that cover wavelengths of 405-6000 nm, as well as optics like collimator lenses and beam expanders. FLC has served customers around the world for over 25 years both online and via an international network of partnered retailers and warehouses.
Laser Components was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Olching, Germany. The ISO 9001:2015 certified company also has locations and distributors across Europe and the United States. The company is a manufacturer and researcher for semiconductor technologies and dielectric coatings. Chemicals used include silicon, lithium tantalate, and deuterated L-alanine doped triglycene sulphate, known as DLATGS. The company’s product segments include IR Components, Photo Counters, Lasers, and Fiber Optics. The company’s services include repair, calibration, tool servicing, and job coatings.
Ranking as of June 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Laser Components | 23.1% |
2 | Spectra-Physics | 11.5% |
3 | Thorlabs | 7.7% |
4 | 3SP Technologies | 7.7% |
5 | Quantel laser | 7.7% |
6 | Engraving Solutions | 3.8% |
7 | Lasit USA | 3.8% |
8 | Isotech, Inc. | 3.8% |
9 | TCR Inc. | 3.8% |
10 | Z-LASER | 3.8% |
11 | RGB Lasersysteme | 3.8% |
12 | Snake Creek Lasers | 3.8% |
13 | HOYA CANDEO OPTRONICS | 3.8% |
14 | Radiantis | 3.8% |
15 | Frankfurt Laser Company | 3.8% |
16 | PhotonTec Berlin | 3.8% |
Ranking as of June 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodDerivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the laser light source page as of June 2023. 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