Laser

Silanna Semiconductor has created a laser driver IC that can squeeze a 400W quad EEL (edge-emitting laser) module into 80mm2. SL2001 comes in a 14ball 1 x 3.5mm WLCSP (wafer-level chip-scale package) includes both a capacitor charging circuit and another block to dump that stored energy into the laser diode. Operating from a power source between 3 and 24V it ...

For the first time, a high-energy laser weapon has been fired by the British Army from an armoured vehicle, successfully destroying flying drones. Raytheon UK is highlighting that its High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) successfully completed the live-firing exercise. The laser was targeting moving aerial targets. The trial was taking place at an undisclosed military range in Wales. The 15-kilowatt ...

The semiconductor laser market will have a CAGR of  9% from 2023 to 2029, growing from $3.1 billion to more than $5 billion, says Yole Group. Driving growth are the expansion of applications using lasers, the shifts toward energy efficiency, compact size and precision, and the growth in integration with multiple technology platforms including SOI(2), SiN(3), InP(4) and TFLN(5). The ...

AeroVironment (AV) has announced it is acquiring BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction valuing the company at $4.1 billion. Both are defense technology companies. AeroVironment says the merger will help create “a more diversified global leader in all-domain defense technologies”. It will give AV entry into additional defence segments, particularly for space systems. Specifically, its commercial portfolio will include Uncrewed Systems, ...

ScioSense has launched a two-channel time-to-digital converter for lidar distance measurement. LTDC-X3, as it will be known, offers single-shot resolution of up to 20ps(rms). The chip has one ‘start’ input and two ‘stop’ inputs, and calculates the time differences between the start channel and the stop channels. “In typical lidar designs, the start will be triggered by the laser trigger, ...

UK scientists and engineers have successfully fired a high powered laser energy weapon from a British Army combat vehicle for the first time. The ground-breaking test was conducted at Dstl’s (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) range in Porton Down. The laser weapon neutralised targets at distances in excess of 1km. As part of MoD’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) ...

Panasonic has produced a range of micron-accurate industrial distance measuring sensors. Unlike its earlier similar sensors, digital output devices in the new HL-G2 series include interfaces for both Ethernet and RS-485 in each unit, selected by the cable used to connect them to the host system. They can communicate using EtherNet/IP, SLMP (seem-less message protocol), Modbus TCP or Modbus RTU. ...

STMicroelectronics has created a time-of-flight distance sensor for industrial use. VL53L4ED works over -40 to +105°C and in high ambient light, and provides “provides distance measurement to objects up to 1,150mm away over the full temperature range,” according to the company. “Special settings allow accurate distance measurement up to 800mm under strong ambient light [5klux].” On-board the 4.4 x 2.4 ...

We're talking AI chips, a 300GHz radio receiver front-end, and space terminals in a mesh network to communicate from LEO to GEO...

The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has awarded BlueHalo a $95.4 million contract for advanced Directed Energy (DE) prototype development, aka laser weapon systems. The award is part of the country’s Laser technology Research Development and Optimization (LARDO) programme through the Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC). The Arlington, Virginia-headquartered company says the contract enables it to ...