November 20, 2008: Optical packaging specialist Avo Photonics has been selected as the manufacturing facility for Luna Technologies’ PHOENIX 1000, a MEMS-based external cavity laser which offers low noise and precise tuning capability over the C-band. The laser is scalable, rugged and fast, delivering superior performance for applications including measurement, fiber grating based sensing, spectroscopy and metrology.

Luna Technologies announced the acquisition of the intellectual property rights of the Iolon “Apollo” laser in December of 2006. Since that acquisition, Avo Photonics has been the exclusive manufacture of the rebranded PHOENIX 1000.

Avo Photonics has produced large quantities of the laser for Luna with impressive yields over the past 20 months within its Horsham, Pennsylvania facility. Some of the specialized assembly equipment was transferred from Coherent to Avo where it was integrated with the array of existing photonic manufacturing capabilities including automated die and wire bonding, laser welding, hermetic sealing and leak testing, micro, mini, and macro optical system assembly, vacuum packaging, precision inspection, opto-electronic characterization, environmental testing, and burn-in/life-testing.

“Tunable lasers have become a key enabling element in a variety of fiber optic measurement and sensing applications,” said Dr. Brian Soller, president of Luna Innovations’ products division. “We are fortunate to have Avo Photonics partner with us in the manufacturing of this device. Avo’s attention to detail and consistent focus on quality have enabled us to bring to market a laser that exceeds expectations.”