Two Ceremonies Honor Photonics Technology Innovators in Munich, Aachen

The jury of the Innovation Award 2022 has named winners of its annual awards at LASER World of PHOTONICS (LASER Munich), recognizing six companies that will take home top prizes in seven categories. The awards’ overall winner, SI Stuttgart, earned the €5000 Innovation Prize that comes with the title of overall Innovation Award winner.

Three finalists in six categories were announced before the start of the trade show and exhibition. In all, companies exhibiting at LASER World of PHOTONICS submitted more than 50 innovative products to be reviewed by the expert jury.

Six companies have been recognized as winners of an Innovation Award 2022 at LASER World of PHOTONICS. Winners were named in categories acknowledging advanced technologies for optics, lasers, quantum, and test and measurement. Courtesy of Messe München.

Category winners:

Biophotonics and medical engineering

Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland GmbH, ORCA-Quest

Hamamatsu’s ORCA-Quest camera is the first to incorporate the qCMOS image sensor and to be able to resolve the number of photoelectrons using a newly developed dedicated technology.

Optics / Manufacturing technology for optics

Glassomer GmbH, Glassomer

Glassomer’s core technology enables the structuring of glass at room temperature, from macroscopic to microscopic objects at high precision while saving on energy costs. Both liquid and solid formulas are available for classical polymer shaping techniques.

Laser and optoelectronics / Illumination and energy

SI Stuttgart Instruments GmbH, ALPHA

Stuttgart Instruments’ Alpha series are compact 1.35- to 4.5-μm tunable IR frequency converters with modular field-upgradable design. The Alpha is the company’s most compact system and exhibits a footprint as small as 26 × 43 cm. It has an average output power of 50 to 400 mW, which is ideally suited for spectroscopy.

Laser systems for industrial production engineering

QiOVA, VULQ1 Multibeam marking solutions

QiOVA’s VULQ1 achieves multibeam marking based on patented multibeam technology enabling 2D patterning, including datamatrix and alphanumeric, in a single laser pulse. The technology enables individual product identification with minimal cost and ecological footprint. Applications include anticounterfeiting, customer engagement, or tracking and tracing of components.

Courtesy of Messe München.

Quantum technologies

ID Quantique, ID281 Series

ID Quantique’s ID281 SNSPD combines high-performance single-photon detection, simple cryogenics, and best-in-class time-tagging and control electronics. The technology has applications in quantum key distribution, quantum communications, quantum optics and computing, single-photon source characterization, eye-safe lidar, fluorescence lifetime imaging, photoluminescence, failure analysis of integrated circuits, and more.

Sensors, test and measurement / Optical measuring systems / Imaging

Xarion Laser Acoustics, Laser-Ultrasonic Automated Spot Weld Inspection

Xarion’s laser ultrasound inspection system for automated spot weld inspection enables hands-free inspection of spot welds by using a pulsed laser for ultrasound generation in tandem with its proprietary optical microphone. The method is contact-free and does not require a coupling gel.

LASER World of PHOTONICS organizers announced before the start of this year’s event that the Start-Up Award will be on hold for 2022, and will take place again at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2023.