LaSen,
Inc.
| COMPANY/LOCATION: |
LaSen, Inc., Las Cruces, New Mexico |
| PRODUCT: |
Solid state mid-infrared turntable laser sensors for environmental
and process control monitoring |
| YEARS IN BUSINESS: |
5 |
EMPLOYEES:
ANNUAL SALES: |
6
$1 million |
| SITUATION: |
LaSen is working through the Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology
on a crystal materials program to help the former Soviet Union develop
commercial products. LaSen has produced crystals as core materials for
sensors. Their request to ORCMT was for evaluation of the crystals, which
are part of a LaSen program involving a Russian facility for production
of the specific crystal type. The company approached ORCMT because it is
an ideal partner in that it has the spectrometry equipment and materials
processing capability to cut and polish the crystal and evaluate its quality
for use in a frequency-agile laser device. |
| PROJECT: |
ORCMT personnel polished the nonlinear optical material and measured
its visible and near-infrared absorption to help prove the material suitable
for the customer's application.
ORCMT provided spectroanalysis data that could be used in its laser
simulation models to demonstrate the material's usefulness as a laser medium.
LaSen recommended growing the crystal material in a larger format with
the aim of mass production for long-term projects. |
| RESULTS: |
Allen Geiger, president and one of the founders of LaSen, said the
immediate result is that the materials will be used in remote sensing and
will keep the current group at LaSen working. "However, over the next
4 to 5 years, with mass production of the crystal material, the company
anticipates growing between $15 and $40 million and employing up to 100
people as materials are used for photochemical processing, laser arrays,
and integrated optical applications," Geiger said. |
Technical assistances provided to the private sector by the Oak Ridge
Centers for Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT) and its manufacturing extension
partners throughout the United States.
|
