VPSL Virtual Point Source Laser Diodes

AMS item number: SW10950

635 to 980 nm; 5 to 220 mW; 5.6 or 9 mm TO-Case With Integrated Micro Lens; Built-in Monitor... more

Product information "VPSL Virtual Point Source Laser Diodes"

635 to 980 nm; 5 to 220 mW; 5.6 or 9 mm TO-Case With Integrated Micro Lens; Built-in Monitor Photodiode

Blue Sky Research’s VPSL series of “Virtual Point Source” laser diodes features the company’s patented µLens™ technology that Blue Sky Research developed to correct the circularity and astigmatism of a laser diode beam.

A laser diode with an integrated micro lens acts as virtual point source (VPS), and the beam behaves like it was emitted from the virtual point source with a well-defined divergence angle. All the aberrations are corrected, and the beam has a circular beam profile.

VPSL series virtual point laser sources integrate the µLens™ technology with a standard laser diode in a standard package to generate a high power, low-divergence, circular, diffraction-limited beam. The µLens™ is mounted directly in front of the diode’s emitting edge, capturing nearly 100% of the diode’s power, circularizing the beam and correcting any aberrations, all in a single step.

Because of these unique beam qualities, VPSL virtual point laser diodes have demonstrated, for example, over 80% coupling efficiency in the visible range, into a single mode fiber optic — up to twice that achieved by multi-macro-optics with standard laser diodes.

The design complexity of customer systems is reduced in most applications by replacing multi-optical-element diode systems with a VPSL laser diode and typically a single correcting lens. In fact, for many applications, no additional correcting optics is required at all.

Thus, the VPSL series can reduce cost, as well as deliver more usable power. VPSL devices are packaged exactly the same as a standard laser diode. The µLens™ is only apparent by the way it transforms and corrects the beam output. VPSL series laser diodes are available in standard 5.6 and 9 mm TO packages, allowing for direct use in a wide variety of applications.

Key Features:

Built-in Monitor Photodiode
Diffraction-limited Wavefront (Aberration Equal or Better than λ/4 Peak-to-valley for Most Models)
Wavelength Range: 635 to 980 nm
Circular, Diverging beam, NA Approximately 0.11 for Most Models
Laser Diode Power: 5 to 220 mW (Depending on Wavelength)
Standard 5.6 or 9 mm Form Factor

Applications: Barcode Readers; Scanners; Imaging; Projection; Laser Pointers; Laser Levelers; Laser Printers; Free Space Optical Communications; Measurement Equipment; Alignment Equipment; Displays; DVD Players; Optical Disc Memories; Range Finding; LIDAR; DPSS Pumping; Various Other Types of Optical Equipment