FBH to present latest advances at Photonics West
At Photonics West 2026 (January 20 to 22, 2026) in San Francisco, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) will show new technological achievements, including GaAs-based lasers from 620 to 614 nm for quantum computing. Additional focus areas include tailored modules and systems, hyperspectral imaging in the mid-infrared using entangled photon pairs, and solutions designed for deployment in space.
Photonic integration based on GaAs
The FBH ranks among the world’s leading research institutes in chip design and the fabrication of GaAs-based diode lasers. It has also developed a monolithic GaAs-based photonic integrated waveguide platform that combines on-chip amplification with passive, shallow, and deep-etched waveguides. This technology provides the foundation for ring-resonator-coupled lasers and can cover a wavelength range from 950 nm to 1180 nm. Potential applications include quantum physics, spectroscopy, and biosensing, areas among others.
High-power diode lasers
FBH has continued successful field trials of its SAMBA laser head, demonstrating metal 3D-printing of test structures directly at an industrial partner’s site. At the core of this direct diode laser system is a compact module providing 1 kW continuous-wave (CW) output power. Its 780 nm wavelength is tailored to the absorption peak of aluminium. In parallel, the team at FBH has introduced lasers with narrower stripe widths and shorter resonators, raising CW conversion efficiency at the 1 kW level to 50 percent. These improvements also doubled the achievable power density to 2 kW per square millimetre.
Further progress has been achieved in the development of pump laser sources, a key technology for inertial fusion energy (IFE) systems. FBH is employing new device concepts that enhance performance while reducing manufacturing costs. These innovations include multi-junction designs as well as advanced technological approaches for facet passivation and grating stabilisation.
At the same time, FBH is steadily advancing its technological foundations, resulting in a substantial increase in the brilliance of broad-area lasers. A customised current profile along the resonator results in a homogeneous device temperature distribution, reducing the lateral far field by 30 % for the first time worldwide.
Modules for demanding space applications
For many years, FBH has been developing and manufacturing diode laser modules for use in challenging environments including space, with their reliability confirmed in multiple microgravity experiments. The institute is currently manufacturing 55 ultra-narrowband modules for the BECCAL apparatus, which will support quantum-optical experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
These modules are based on the patented MiLas technology, developed in-house. Micro-integrated MiLas laser modules are robust and, with dimensions of only 125 mm × 75 mm × 23 mm and a weight of 750 g, extremely compact. They provide output powers above 500 mW with an intrinsic linewidth below 1 kHz.
This technology is currently being further developed for use in MEO and GEO satellite orbits with operational lifetimes exceeding 15 years. In parallel, the institute is pushing further miniaturisation efforts by transferring the established hybrid External Cavity Diode Laser (ECDL) concept to a single chip to realise a monolithically integrated ECDL (mECDL).
FBH's pulsed nanosecond laser sources for time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR systems are also aimed at space applications. The distance-measurement modules for mid-range scanning are equally suited for robotics and autonomous driving. They are developed in several variants, each featuring in-house-developed driver electronics tailored to the specific application and delivering high output power along with excellent lateral beam quality. For example, 48-emitter laser bars with a 50 µm stripe width achieve pulse powers exceeding 2,000W.
