Back to: Press Releases

Press Release Detail: Thorlabs Licenses Mid-IR Dual-Comb Spectroscopy for Environmental and Industrial Sensing Applications Newton, NJ and Stäfa, Switzerland – January 30, 2024 – Thorlabs is excited to announce that it has entered into a license and technology transfer agreement for the patented QCL-Based Dual-Frequency-Comb Spectroscopy Instruments that smart sensor solutions provider Sensirion developed at its IRsweep subsidiary. Dual-comb spectroscopy is a rapidly growing field due to its ability to combine many of the strengths of conventional broadband spectroscopy and tunable laser spectroscopy into one platform. Thorlabs’ Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) capabilities and extensive instrumentation and system experience will allow the organization to rapidly commercialize a Mid-IR spectroscopic sensing platform based on the IRsweep technology. This platform will be targeted to address the evolving needs of the environmental and industrial sensing markets within the molecular fingerprint region. Dual-frequency-comb spectrometers overcome the limitation of conventional scanning FTIR instruments by enabling both high-resolution and high-speed acquisition of optical spectra. Thorlabs will be growing its successful laser and instrumentation group at its Maryland facility to further develop and commercialize the technology. Thorlabs’ Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Peter Fendel, commented, “I’m thrilled to add IRsweep’s technology to Thorlabs’ broad spectroscopy portfolio. The Dual-Frequency Comb Technology compliments Thorlabs’ existing design and manufacturing capabilities for high-brightness mid-IR lasers like our QCLs and Long-Wave Infrared Supercontinuum Laser Source, the latter of which is based on intra-pulse difference frequency generation and will be introduced at Photonics West 2024 (Booth #627).” Sensirion’s Director M&A, Dr. Markus Geiser, adds, “Thorlabs has been a valued partner of IRsweep for years and we are confident that this licensing agreement will grow the application space for QCL dual-comb spectroscopy beyond the Sensirion home markets. My co-founders at IRsweep, Andreas Hugi and Markus Mangold and me are excited about expanding the impact of the technology.” About Sensirion:Sensirion Holding AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: SENS), headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading manufacturer of digital microsensors and systems. The product range includes flow sensors for gases and liquids, differential pressure sensors and environmental sensors for the measurement of humidity and temperature, volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5). An international network of sales offices in the USA, Europe, China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea provides international customers with standardized and customized sensor system solutions for a wide range of applications. Sensors from Sensirion can be found in many areas of the automotive industry, medical technology, industry and consumer electronics. About Thorlabs: Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer, was founded in 1989 to serve the laser and electro-optics research market. As that market has spawned a multitude of technical innovations, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to play an ever-increasing role to serve the Photonics Industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of Fabry-Perot, DFB, and VCSEL lasers; fiber towers for drawing both silica and fluoride glass optical fibers; MBE/MOCVD epitaxial wafer growth reactors; extensive glass and metal fabrication facilities; advanced thin film deposition capabilities; and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.