Commercialization of advanced semiconductor laser technologies at Thorlabs Quantum Electronics

With the acquisition of Covega in 2009, Thorlabs created Thorlabs Quantum Electronics (TQE), a brand new division focused on advanced semiconductor laser technology. Being a vertically integrated laser manufacturer (including epitaxial growth, wafer processing and advanced packaging) has enabled TQE to make several exciting new laser technologies available to the photonics community. This talk will follow the transition of novel new semiconductor laser technologies including Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) and Interband Cascade Lasers (ICLs) from research demonstrations through volume production. We will highlight unique challenges, both technical and practical, during this journey, including the development of the world’s first MEMS tunable Mid-Infrared VCSEL and high power, broadband QCL frequency combs. We will conclude with some discussion of the advanced applications for these lasers, including gas sensing and Dual Comb Spectroscopy.