Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20250402010
- Term of Validity
- 14 May 2025 - 14 May 2026
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- A German SME has developed ultra-stable optical systems for application in harsh environments, by using a flux-free soldering technology. This ensures a permanently stable alignment with < 10 µrad deviation. Next to a long lifetime due to the absence of organic materials, it also allows re-alignment or repair of components, thus high flexibility and low costs. Applications are manifold. Partners using optical systems in any harsh environment are sought for commercial and research cooperation.
- Full Description
-
Optical systems for applications in Aerospace have to be extremely precise and stable. At the same time, they have to operate in harsh and extreme environments and are exposed to vibrations, shocks and large temperature fluctuations. Conventional optical systems often suffer from alignment drift, organic contamination, and mechanical instability, which can compromise long-term performance.
A German spin-off from a renowned research institute for Laser Technology and specialized in rugged and high-precision optical assemblies and laser components, has designed ultra-stable optical systems for harsh environments such as aerospace, aviation, and industrial and scientific applications.
Unlike conventional optical assemblies that rely on adhesive bonding, the German company utilizes a semi-automated and flux-free soldering technology, which ensures permanently stable alignment with less than 10 µrad deviation. This method eliminates organic materials, preventing outgassing and laser-induced contamination (LIC)—critical advantages for vacuum and space applications. Additionally, while standard optical mounts are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, humidity, and vibrations, the company’s soldered assemblies maintain their precision even under extreme mechanical stress, shocks, and rapid thermal cycling.
The company provides space-qualified optical mounts and assemblies, developed and tested within the Franco-German MERLIN satellite mission. These mounts and laser components maintain extreme precision despite harsh conditions such as temperature variations, shocks up to 300 g, and vibrational loads up to 30 g RMS. By enabling repeated alignment of individual components, the soldering technology also enhances flexibility and cost-effectiveness in maintenance and optimization.
The company's product portfolio includes space-qualified mirror mounts, lens mounts, pockels cells, faraday isolators, nonlinear optical mounts, fiber mounts, laser crystal mounts, mounts for polarization optics.
Optical assemblies include reference cavities, beam forming stages, pump-probe assemblies, laser resonators and amplifiers.
The company is looking for cooperation partners in industries that require highly stable optical systems under extreme conditions, for commercial agreements with technical assistance. It also looks for participation in international R&D projects in selected fields. - Advantages and Innovations
-
• Longer lifetime: Components and subassemblies are completely free of organic materials and therefore have zero outgassing. Therefore, they are the first choice for vacuum and other LIC (Laser Induced Contamination) critical assemblies.
• Higher Stability (Ultra-high stability): The lack of shrinkage of the solder materials results in a permanently stable alignment.
• More Flexibility: Repeated alignment of single components within an assembly is possible. This means you can easily optimize an assembly’s performance after it has been completely set up.
• More cost-effectiveness: Defective components can be exchanged for cost-effective maintenance and repair of complex assemblies
• Greater robustness: Solder joints are insensitive to changes of environmental conditions, e.g. the relative humidity. - Stage of Development
- Already on the market
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- IPR status
- IPR granted
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
Industrial or scientific partners that need ultra-stable optical systems to integrate the technology in their products. The German company can provide the necessary customization or R&D support.
In the Space industry, this includes among others
• manufacturers of satellites and optical instruments
• space telescopes or
• communication systems.
In the aviation sector, it includes
• producers of avionics systems
• surveillance cameras
• sensors
• imaging and radar systems and
• unmanned aerial vehicles that must withstand harsh environments conditions.
Of particular interest are therefore partners that operate in geophysical and environmental monitoring with harsh environments, such as seismology and earthquake monitoring, volcanic ash detection, turbulence detection or remote sensing for precision farming or oil and gas exploration.
As for R&D collaborations, possible topics include On-board sensors for Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems, Support for take-off and landing in demanding environments, Turbulence detection, Volcanic ash detection, drone-based air quality monitoring, support for sustainable agriculture, atellite-based Earth observation and Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems.
The company is open to participation in internationally/EU-funded research projects. - Type and Size of Partner
- Other
- Big company
- SME 11-49
- R&D Institution
- University
- SME 50 - 249
- SME <=10
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 09001007 - Optical Technology related to measurements
- 02011004 - Satellite Navigation Systems
- 01006008 - Satellite Technology/Positioning/Communication in GPS
- 05003002 - Optics
- 02007012 - Optical Materials
- Market keywords
- 03005 - Laser Related
- Sector Groups Involved
- Electronics
- Aerospace and Defence
- Targeted countries
- All countries
