Monday 13th July
15:00-17:30 (CEST)

Photonics is the driving force behind advances in microscopy within life science imaging. Ultrafast lasers are coupled into microscope set-ups to provide the light source that penetrates deep into biological tissue to develop clear, high resolution images for critical disease detection and diagnosis.

Chromacity will join microscope, laser and optics manufacturers to discuss end-user challenges during the EPIC Microscopy webinar. Dr Christopher G Leburn will share his extensive experience of how the performance and affordability of the Chromacity 1040 has addressed end-user challenges within two-photon microscopy, second harmonic generation, confocal, holography and advanced 3D/fluorescence imaging.

EPIC is the industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organisations working in the field of photonics in Europe. The spirit of the EPIC webinar is to identify ways of working together by answering two simple questions. What can we do for you? What can you do for us?

Don’t miss the opportunity to follow the webinar live via EPIC’s YouTube channel. We hope you can tune in next week.

EPIC Online Technology Meeting – Environmental Monitoring

Prevention of an unplanned hydrocarbon release (HCR) is an asset integrity challenge with global implications to the environment. Deploying ultrafast lasers, to detect greenhouse gases, is widely recognised by the photonics community and the potential of these light sources will be explored in an Environmental Monitoring webinar hosted by EPIC.

As proud members of EPIC, Chromacity shared their experience of using FTIR Spectroscopy to detect and distinguish between multiple gases. Senior R&D Engineer, Dr Kerr Johnson, discussed how light from Chromacity’s optical parametric oscillator (OPO) was coupled into a scanning Michelson interferometer to simultaneously quantify multiple hydrocarbon gases in real-time. Watch a recording of the Environmental Monitoring webinar here:

EPIC is the industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organisations working in the field of photonics in Europe. Their webinar following continues to grow in popularity with the EPIC YouTube channel exceeding 1,000 subscribers.

Chromacity today announced a channel partner agreement with photonics experts Market Tech Inc. With immediate effect, Market Tech will supply Chromacity’s ultrafast laser systems through its industrial and academic research network across North America.

Chromacity’s range of affordable ultrafast laser systems combine high power with very short pulsewidths, making them attractive for multi-photon microscopy, laser-based sensing and FTIR spectroscopy, laser material processing and polymerization.

Phil Crowley, CEO of Market Tech, said: “Chromacity’s ultrafast systems are an exciting new addition to our growing portfolio of laser and photonics solutions. We’re thrilled to be working with Shahida and the team at Chromacity to develop opportunities together.”

Shahida Imani, CEO, Chromacity, said: “The United States is a key territory for Chromacity and we invested a considerable amount of time researching channel partners. After meeting Market Tech during the Photonics West conference in San Francisco earlier this year, it was clear they would become our photonics partner of choice.”

“Market Tech has two decades of photonics experience and extensive knowledge of R&D clusters in the US that can benefit from our fixed and tunable lasers,” added Imani. “The partnership means that we can now provide hands-on support to the increasing demand for our laser systems in the US, which is vital for Chromacity’s strategic growth.”

Chromacity was one of the first companies to offer tunable optical parametric oscillator systems that cover both the near-IR and mid-IR wavelength regions. The laser manufacturer sold its first near-IR OPO to the Chinese market earlier this month, as the Edinburgh-based company continues to expand operations globally.

EPIC Online Technology Meeting on Quantum Computing
Tuesday 19th May
15:00 – 17:30 (CEST)

Chromacity presented on the virtual stage to discuss the role of photonics in quantum key distribution during the EPIC Online Technology Meeting.

Dr Christopher G Leburn shared Chromacity’s experience of using femtosecond lasers to enhance quantum optics research and commercialise opportunities for secure satellite communication.

EPIC’s online meetings offer transparency throughout the entire supply chain. Participants join a round table discussion to determine how they can support each other and establish new business relationships.

Chromacity today announced a channel partner agreement with photonics distributor GMP SA. The agreement will see GMP offer Chromacity’s ultrafast laser systems to industrial and academic customers in Switzerland.

Switzerland’s thriving life sciences sector makes the country a major market for photonics companies. Home to big pharma companies, like Roche and Novartis, Switzerland leads in the world of life sciences manufacturing. With over four decades of experience, GMP is one the country’s leading distributors and turnkey solutions provider in the field of scientific and industrial lasers, spectroscopy solutions and micropositioning.

Shahida Imani, CEO, Chromacity, said: “We’re excited to be working with GMP to introduce the benefit of our ultrafast lasers to the Swiss market. They have more than 40 years’ experience selling lasers to industrial partners and academic institutions in this region, so we’re looking forward to exploring their regional knowledge and connecting with a well-established customer base.”

Chromacity’s range of affordable ultrafast laser systems combine high power with very short pulsewidths, making them attractive for a range of applications, including microscopy, spectroscopy and the development of quantum technologies. In addition to offering high quality fixed wavelength lasers at 1040nm and 520nm, Chromacity was one of the first companies to offer tunable optical parametric oscillator products that cover both the near-IR and mid-IR wavelength regions.

Fabio Manzini, CEO of GMP, said: “We pride ourselves on providing our customers with access to the latest technologies available, and Chromacity’s ultrafast lasers represent a new generation of high quality, powerful systems that enable scientists and businesses to achieve their goals. We’re confident that many of our customers will see the value that can be gained through these next generation laser products and look forward to working with Chromacity.”

The channel partner agreement with GMP builds upon Chromacity’s extensive global distributor network throughout Europe, the Asia Pac region and the Americas.

EIT Digital Webinar
Thursday 30th April 2020

Chromacity will share their experience of enhancing ultrafast laser sources to commercialise quantum technology during a virtual forum.

Dr Christopher G. Leburn, Co-Founder and Commercial Director, will present on the topic of ytterbium-based laser sources and OPOs for quantum technology during the EIT Digital webinar, held in conjunction with the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPAQS) at Heriot-Watt University.

EIT Digital is a leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organisation focussed on driving Europe’s digital transformation.

The EIT Digital webinar, entitled ‘Quantum Technology Insights’, provides the ideal opportunity to learn about co-funding opportunities for applied research within EIT Digital’s Doctoral Schools and collaborative innovation projects.

Register for the webinar, which is free to attend, below:

Chromacity successfully renewed ISO 9001:2015 certification following a remote audit earlier this week.

Maintaining a culture of continuous improvement was a surmountable challenge facing Chromacity at a time where remote working has become both a necessity and the norm.   

The ultrafast laser manufacturer implemented business continuity plans in response to COVID-19 and the team quickly adapted to remote working with no operational downtime.

This enabled Chromacity to successfully renew ISO 9001:2015 certification after a stringent review of their quality management system.

In conventional circumstances, the presence of an auditor onsite has the ability to thoroughly examine policies or question procedures, and the remote methodology offered no respite from this rigorous assessment.

The ISO standard demonstrates an ability to consistently deliver high quality products and services by adhering to centralised processes that meet regulatory requirements, drive continuous improvement and enhance customer satisfaction.

Shahida Imani, Chromacity CEO commented: “Continuing our ISO certification is fantastic for Chromacity and much welcome news during this period of uncertainty. I’m extremely proud of our team’s commitment towards quality management and maintaining the high standards our customers deserve”.

The scope of certification includes the design, sale, manufacture, installation and service of ultrafast laser systems for the life sciences and industrial applications.

Two of Chromacity’s ultrafast laser systems were used during  breakthrough research into quantum-enhanced optical systems, which could drive advances in encryption, communication and measurement.

A group of researchers, led by Dr Matteo Clerici at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering and colleagues from the UK, Japan and Germany have demonstrated using a new method of generating and detecting quantum-entangled photons at a wavelength of 2.1 microns.

The unique, non-classical properties of entangled photons are used in applications including quantum key distribution allowing uncrackable communications between two parties.

Methods of entangling photons at shorter wavelengths of between 700 and 1550 nanometres are already well-established. However, those wavelengths are vulnerable to interference from the sun’s light when they are transmitted over open air, making them difficult to use in applications, such as secure satellite-to-ground and satellite-to-satellite communications.

The Glasgow-led team’s new method of generating entangled photons further into the infrared at two micrometres wavelength will overcome these problems for the first time.

Dr Matteo Clerici, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, said:

“What we have been able to do is carve out a band in the electromagnetic spectrum where the entangled particles we produce are less likely to be affected by background solar radiation when they’re transmitted across free space”.

This breakthrough has benefited from the cutting-edge expertise of UK photonics companies. In partnership with Covesion Ltd, Dr Clerici and his team have developed a new type of non-linear crystal made from lithium niobite. The two entangled photons are generated when short pulses of light from the Chromacity 1040 laser system passes through the crystal.

Dr Christopher G. Leburn, Commercial Director and Co-Founder, explained how Chromacity’s two systems were used during this ground-breaking research:

“Two of our systems have been involved in this exciting research.  Our Chromacity 1040 is the workhorse that allows the generation of entangled photons at 2µm, while our Chromacity OPO has been used as tool to help push the development of  single photon detectors used to detect the entangled photons.  We are thrilled to see how a mix of our technologies is clearly having a real impact on important cutting-edge research”.

The full research paper from the University of Glasgow, titled ‘Two-photon Quantum Interference and Entanglement at 2.1 μm’, is available in Science Advances. For more information about the ultrafast laser systems which supported this research, email: sales@chromacitylasers.com

In response to concerns associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, we feel it is important to share what measures we are taking at Chromacity to mitigate risk.

Chromacity is currently implementing remote working across our cross functional  teams. We will continue to assess this frequently with the latest government and expert guidelines ensuring we are doing everything possible to preserve the health of all our valued employees and associates.

As a business underpinned by technology, we already use a suite of advanced tools and resources in place for supporting remote working, and therefore this will be a relatively easy transition for us. We are also implementing staggered schedules to reduce people density in the production and R&D environment, therefore our manufacturing facility is able to continue to operate at full capacity to deliver products to our customers.

With all the measures in place, Chromacity remains fully operational and we will be utilising all our resources to continue pushing the boundaries in ultrafast lasers.

If you have any questions, or would like to speak to someone in the company, please don’t hesitate to contact us via: info@chromacitylasers.com

Stay safe and look after each other.

– Shahida Imani, CEO

Ever wonder what it takes to build an ultrafast laser system which drives advances in scientific discovery?

We caught-up with our Production Engineer; Ellen Milne, to understand the skills involved in laser manufacturing and how it all began.

“You need a steady hand. The underlying theory on laser physics and basic electronics knowledge is essential, but practical skills are a must”.

“I’ve always been more hands on and wanted a role that reflected that” Ellen explained.

Ellen worked in the photonics industry before joining Chromacity in 2016. Prior to that, Ellen had completed a BSc (Hons) in Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh and a MSc in Photonics and Optoelectronic Devices from St Andrews and Heriot-Watt University.

“A lot of astrophysics graduates move onto software engineering roles, but I didn’t want to spend my days sitting in front of a computer. The photonics community in Scotland is strong and the MSc was an excellent gateway into this industry, as it focuses more on industrial practices”.

“I already had a few years of experience working with diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSS), but it wasn’t until I joined Chromacity that I was exposed to ultrafast fibre lasers”.

After shadowing our Technical Director on full assembly builds, Ellen’s transferable skills became absolutely vital to the company’s growth. Ellen was involved in the manufacture of the first Chromacity 520 – a fixed wavelength laser source that delivers femtosecond pulses with high average power in the green.

On a daily basis, Ellen is involved in the entire laser manufacturing process from liaising with suppliers and procurement, to laser assembly, testing, continuous improvement and onsite installation.

“Manufacturing ultrafast laser systems can be challenging. Splicing fibre together for example, is a very delicate process and we’re often working towards tight schedules to ensure we meet our customer’s timescales”.

“Installing systems and spending time with the customer to learn how our ultrafast systems drive advances in the life sciences make it all the worthwhile”.

Ellen was involved in the manufacture of the Chromacity 1040 which was recently shipped from the UK to a customer in Australia.

“The system required minimal set-up and the install was managed locally, so whereas I was keen to travel to Australia in support, I was delighted that our 1040 showed the robustness to be shipped across the globe and remain operational ready straight out-of-the-box”.

Ellen, who was Chromacity’s first Production Engineer, epitomises our core values to build a positive team spirit and to exceed customer expectations.

When Ellen is not building laser systems, you will no doubt find her on the ski slopes in winter or enjoying long summer evenings with her two cats; Oreo and Norris.

“Working at Chromacity is the best job that I’ve had. It’s a small team but everyone has a strong work ethic and is focussed on the task at hand. The company is growing rapidly and we’re all excited about the future”.

Have you considered a career in laser manufacturing? Are you already working within the photonics industry and would like to learn more about our ultrafast laser systems? We’d love to hear from you: info@chromacitylasers.com