LASER World of PHOTONICS 2011 will present photonics as a key technology for the security industry

Globalisation can be regarded as the most powerful social force in the twenty-first century. In addition to economic, political and communicative developments and a greater need for security in the public domain, globalisation tendencies are changing individual and political awareness of security. In view of this situation, LASER World of PHOTONICS 2011 – the world’s leading trade fair for photonics – will provide a theme platform on which companies and scientists will be able to exchange application-related experience and information on questions concerning security and defence. Johannes Dumanski from Qioptiq Photonics GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen, a leading manufacturer of photonics components for security and space travel, commented as follows on the development of this market segment: “The ‘asymmetric’ threat, which has been noticeable for many years, is forcing security and defence firms to examine new scenarios. This is necessary both in preventive and reactive terms. In order to cope more easily with the tasks, greater use is being made of optical products and technologies both within the meaning of cross-sectional improvement of equipment standards and in regard to technical specialisation.“

Further developments in surveillance technology
Laser-based surveillance technologies are extremely important for tasks relating to domestic security, terrorism prevention or monitoring movements of refugees. The new products at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2011 will include cameras in the short wave infrared range (SWIR), which are able to better recognise objects in a hitherto little used wavelength range between 900 and 1900 nanometres. During the trade fair it will be possible to see marked improvements in performance in the area of night sight and thermal imaging devices: “The new laser night sight brighteners in Laser Class 1 give our police officers much more security during operations at night. Based on the high wavelength of around 1000 nm, the laser beam is completely invisible to the normal observer. However, it illuminates a cone with a diameter of 26 metres for clear recognition at a distance of 1,000 metres“, explained David Heckner from Laserluchs GmbH, Koblenz. This product will be exhibited on Stand 152 in Hall C1.

Efficiency and development potential of fibre-optic sensor systems for property protection
Wherever human observation reaches its limits, fibre-optic sensor systems provide solutions to increasingly more complex problems. Optical and photoacoustic motion detectors monitor borders, enclosures or tunnels, as well as hundreds of kilometres of pipelines. The sensors in these systems transmit accurate information about every movement on the monitored object and store an acoustic fingerprint of the intruder.

Jakob Skov, Managing Director of the manufacturer NKT Photonics A/S from Birkeroed in Denmark (Hall B1, Stand 461), describes the efficiency and future potential of the laser technology used for this purpose: “Ultra-low-noise fibre lasers from the KOHERAS model series with coherence lengths well over 100 kilometres increase detection and localisation accuracy and extend the measuring distance in fibre-optic sensor systems, thus significantly reducing current limitations with conventional laser technologies. The present and future extent of these security-related markets will produce additional growth potential for our industrial fibre laser products in the sensing sector.”


Higher safety standards thanks to technologies for early fire detection and detection of hazardous substances
As part of the new focus topic “Security and Defence”, LASER World of Photonics 2011 will pay special attention to civil use of fibre-optic sensor systems. This includes applications for minimising risks in underground mining or for checking the load in wind farms. However, the trade fair will also feature new 3-D scanners or innovative quality assurance technologies along the production line in industrial engineering. The innovation drivers in this sector are the still very young terahertz technology and new processes for laser spectroscopy and imaging. Eight Fraunhofer institutes will present future-oriented applied research results relating to this topic on a joint stand in Hall B2 (Stand 417).

LASER World of PHOTONICS is the leading international trade fair for the photonics industry. The objective of the trade fair is to continuously stimulate the development of the industry and its technology and applications. With the World of Photonics Congress and the practical application-related talks, the organiser provides a networking and knowledge platform which facilitates the transfer of know-how between science and industry at a unique international level. As an integral part of the focus topic “Security and Defence”, the practical talk “Aspects of the modern optical equipment of soldiers” will be held from 14.00 to 16.00 on 25 May 2011 during the Photonics Forum in Hall B2, Stand 421.

For in-depth information on the Congress, visit: HUwww.photonics-congress.comUH.

Visitors can now register for LASER World of PHOTONICS online by visiting
http://world-of-photonics.net/en/laser/visitors/prices-tickets/Registration_Tickets