Cutting Edge Optronics - A Northrop Grumman Company

11/02/2026

Peak current and voltage ratings get all the attention. They're rarely what makes a QCW laser system reliable.

In our latest post, Wolfgang Schlichting lays out a practical, engineering-focused guide to specifying a laser diode driver for quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) diode arrays, written for the CTOs, system architects, and laser design engineers who have to make the whole system hold together.

It's a system-level checklist, not just an electrical one:

⚡ Current regulation, pulse width, timing, and rise/fall control
🌡️ Average power and junction-temperature limits (not just peak specs)
🛡️ Overcurrent / overvoltage protection and lifetime preservation
📐 Mechanical fit, cooling, and EMI/EMC from day one

Read it here 👉 https://bit.ly/4yq1JT9

This article provides a practical, engineering-focused guide to specifying a driver for QCW arrays, with emphasis on key electrical, thermal, and control parameters that directly impact performance, reliability, and cost.

10/27/2026

How do you manage thermal cooling and extend the lifetime of laser diodes during continuous operation? 🔬

Effective thermal management is critical for maintaining efficiency, wavelength stability, and diode lifetime in CW and high-duty-cycle pulsed systems.

Depending on the application, cooling approaches can include:

→ Water cooling via chillers, heat exchangers, or facility water
→ Conduction cooling, often paired with TECs for precise temperature control
→ Microchannel cooling for applications requiring extremely high output power density

The goal is the same: efficiently remove heat and keep junction temperatures under control.

Cutting Edge Optronics designs and manufactures high-power diode arrays compatible with these cooling approaches for industrial, medical, scientific and defense laser systems.

10/21/2026

What packaging option is best for OEM laser diode integration? 🔬

The answer depends on your power requirements, cooling method, mechanical constraints, and application.

Common options include:

→ Conductively cooled packages for SWaP-constrained OEM modules
→ Water-cooled arrays for high-average-power systems
→ Microchannel-cooled stacks for maximum power density
→ Custom side- or end-pumping geometries for DPSS laser gain modules

Cutting Edge Optronics offers both standard and custom laser diode packages tailored to specific footprints, electrical interfaces, and thermal environments.

The right package starts with the requirements of your system.

10/15/2026

We’re heading to the International Conference on Ultrahigh Intensity Lasers this November! 🔬

Cutting Edge Optronics’ Scott Taylor and Donna Berns will be attending ICUIL, connecting with experts and industry leaders from across the high-intensity and ultrafast laser community.

If you’ll be there too, we’d love to connect. Reach out to Scott or Donna to schedule a meeting.

10/12/2026

Live from booth #208 at the OPTICA Laser Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania. Wolfgang Schlichting is meeting with researchers and engineers about pump laser diode arrays, gain modules and complete laser systems.

The exhibition runs through October 15 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Vilnius . If you are attending, stop by our booth or contact us to schedule a meeting with Wolfgang.

10/09/2026

What are the key specifications to consider when selecting high-power laser diode bars? 🔬

Four parameters are a great place to start:

→ Wavelength – to match your DPSS crystal or direct-diode application
→ Optical power – including CW or pulsed output requirements
→ Efficiency – impacting SWaP and cooling requirements
→ Beam divergence – determining how easily the output can be coupled into your optics

Package type, cooling interface, and collimation options are also important aspects of laser diode integration.

Cutting Edge Optronics manufactures high-power laser diode bars and arrays across a wide range of power levels and package configurations to meet different system requirements.

10/06/2026

How do handheld LIBS analyzers deliver fast, in-the-field elemental analysis?

A key part of the answer is the laser pump source.

Cutting Edge Optronics’ compact, high-power laser diode arrays provide the optical pump energy needed for DPSS lasers while meeting the demanding size, weight, and thermal requirements of handheld instruments.

In our latest article, Ryan Feeler, PhD, explores how CEO’s laser diode packages help enable fast, reliable LIBS analysis.

Read the full article to learn more 👉

How CEO laser diode arrays pump the handheld LIBS analyzers used to identify and sort bulk metal alloys and powders in about one second per measurement.

09/09/2026

We’re heading to Vilnius! 🇱🇹

Wolfgang Schlichting will be attending the Optica Laser Congress and Exhibition, taking place October 11–15, 2026.

We’re looking forward to connecting with the global photonics community, exchanging ideas, and exploring the latest advances in solid-state lasers and laser applications.

Will you be attending? We’d love to connect!

09/04/2026

This September 11, members of the Cutting Edge Optronics team will come together to honor 9/11 through service.

As part of the 9/11 Day Meal Pack, our team will spend two hours packing meals for local food banks and families in need — with a goal of 350 meals packed per volunteer.

We’re proud to join thousands of volunteers turning a day of remembrance into a day of service and making a meaningful impact in their communities.

We look forward to doing our part on September 11.

08/19/2026

Cutting Edge Optronics designs and manufactures complete laser systems. These are built from the ground up, using in-house-manufactured laser diode bars and arrays, DPSS amplifiers, and drive electronics.

This vertically integrated approach enables tighter control over electrical, optical, and thermal performance across a wide range of applications.