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Applications of light
Let’s take a look at roles of photonics indispensable to our modern life and
seen everywhere from familiar products to the cutting-edge science.
Sort by application area
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Cleaning robot detects obstacles
Atmospheric observation by Laser beam
Early detection of cancer and dementia
Capturing the Higgs boson
Capturing flames
Supporting automotive functions
Multifunction sensors for smartphones
Exploring an asteroid
Investigating the interior of objects without destruction
Measuring radiation
Capturing neutrinos
Oil field investigation
Manufacturing, inspecting & cutting semiconductor wafers
Eliminating electrostatic charges
Cleaning object surfaces
Monitoring the oxygen in the brain
Finding new drug candidates
Lasers essential for product manufacturing
Creating a sun on the earth
Optical sensors serving as key devices in electronic equipment
Cleaning robot detects obstacles
Obstacle sensors
wavelength of light
Infrared light
application area
home
A photodiode (photosensor) is used for cleaning robot, serving as the "eyes" to detect obstacles in the path. The photodiode is also used for detecting human movement such as motion sensors.
Atmospheric observation by Laser beam
LIDAR
wavelength of light
Visible light Infrared light
application area
environment
A technology called LIDAR or Light Detection and Ranging emits a laser beam into the atmosphere and utilizes photo sensors to detect material such as suspended matter and atmospheric molecules from the returning and scattered light to in this way measure clouds, particles in the atmosphere, and the state of the surface of the earth. LIDAR is utilized in fields including meteorology, geology, seismology, atmospheric research, and remote sensing.
Early detection of cancer and dementia
PET testing, PET-CT testing
wavelength of light
Gamma rays X-rays
application area
medical
Since cancer cells take in larger quantity of glucose as compared to normal cells, presence of cancer is checked by injecting medicine with characteristics resembling glucose into the body and analyzing PET image of the accumulated glucose-like medicine. This method is effective in early detection of a wide range of cancer. The sign of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease also can be detected from the images of glucose accumulated in the brain.
Capturing the Higgs boson
high-energy physics experiment
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light Visible light Infrared light
application area
High energy physics
The Higgs boson has often been called the "God Particle" because it gives mass to any substances. This particle had existed only theoretically for half a century. CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) conducted the experiment using the world's biggest particle accelerator, "Large Hadron Collider", and succeeded to confirm the existence of the particle in 2013. Hamamatsu Photonics' silicon stripe detector (SSD), avalanche photodiode (APD) , and photomultiplier tube (PMT) were used for the detectors in this experiment.
Capturing flames
flame detector
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light Visible light Infrared light
application area
home industry industry, home, security
Semiconductor optical sensors to detect the light emitted from flame are used for managing safety of hot water heaters and heating appliances for home use. Moreover, optical sensors that detect the UV ray component in flames are used for fire alarms and gas burner combustion monitors in restaurants or public facilities.
Supporting automotive functions
Touch panel switches and transmitter/receiver on MOST networks, etc.
wavelength of light
Visible light Infrared light
application area
automotive
Various optical sensors are used for automobiles, such as car touch panel switches, detection of surrounding light level and day&night sensing of headlamps, transmitter/receiver on MOST network, and detection of surrounding light level of auto anti-glare mirrors.
Multifunction sensors for smartphones
Color/proximity sensors
wavelength of light
Visible light
application area
home home, town
Color/proximity sensors are used on devices such as smartphones to adjust image quality of the display, control turning on and off of the touch panel functions, and display incoming calls. For instance, the sensor detects a face approaching the screen and then turn off touch panel functions while turning off the liquid crystal backlight.
Exploring an asteroid
Asteroid explorer "Hayabusa"
wavelength of light
X-rays Infrared light
application area
Astronomy
The asteroid explorer "Hayabusa" attempted to search the origins of planets and the solar system by taking samples directly from the asteroid Itokawa. After overcoming various problems, "Hayabusa" returned to the earth in June 2010. "Hayabusa" was equipped with a fluorescent X-ray spectrometer (a device for investigating materials on the surface of the asteroid from above) and a near-infrared spectrometer (device to analyze the minerals on the ground and the form of the terrain), incorporating sensors made by Hamamatsu Photonics. "Hayabusa" observed the asteroid Itokawa with "eyes of the photosensors".
Investigating the interior of objects without destruction
Non-destructive X-ray testing
wavelength of light
X-rays
application area
industry
Utilizing X-rays allows observation of the interior of objects without damage and so is applied to hazardous substance inspections at airports or food inspections on the production lines. The X-ray inspection allows searching for hazardous substances hidden inside without opening luggage or packages. Other applications include widespread usage in factories, for example, inspection of foreign matter in food or internal defects of the product. In addition, finding of defects or flaws of electronic components is possible which contributes to quality improvement. Furthermore, the technology to observe differences between materials that are difficult to detect with normal X-ray has been developed in recent years.
Measuring radiation
Radiation monitoring devices
wavelength of light
Gamma rays X-rays
application area
environment
Radiation monitors are used not only in nuclear research facilities and nuclear power plants but also at airports, harbors, and borders of the country and elsewhere to prevent the outflow of nuclear material. Photonic technology in the form of photomultiplier tubes and scintillators is necessary for capturing the radiation emitted from the nuclear material. The technology is also applied to hand-held monitoring devices and door monitors.
Capturing neutrinos
High energy physics experiment, proton decay experiment
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light Visible light
application area
High energy physics
In 1987 an experiment was carried out by Kamiokande for "Observation of neutrinos from a supernova explosion" in a large experiment that was the first of its kind in history. This thousand-to-one chance was brought about by the explosion from a supernova some 160, 000 light years away and the production of 1,000 giant photomultiplier tubes (PMT) made by Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK). This observation of neutrinos lead to a huge leap ahead in basic particle research and helped gain the Nobel prize in physics for Masatoshi Koshiba a Distinguished Professor of the University of Tokyo who was a leader of these experiments.
Oil field investigation
measuring oil strata
wavelength of light
Gamma rays X-rays
application area
energy industry
The size and position of oil fields can be investigated by using radiation. Test holes dug for preparation of development of an oil field may extend thousands of meters deep underground with high ambient temperatures of 150 to 200°C due to ground heat. Also, it is a harsh environment subject to vibration and impacts. Photomultiplier tubes tough enough to stand such an environment
are used radiation even in these rugged environments.
are used radiation even in these rugged environments.
Manufacturing, inspecting & cutting semiconductor wafers
Semiconductor failure analysis, stealth dicing, etc.
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light Visible light Infrared light
application area
industry industry, semiconductor
Various photonic technologies are used for semiconductor manufacturing and inspection processes. Infrared ray is useful to observe defects inside a wafer. Defective points inside an IC generate very faint light, heat or show electrical change. Semiconductor failure analysis system captures those lights and electrical changes and visualize them to localize defective points. A technology called stealth dicing that machines the wafer internally with a laser to make high quality cuts (splits) that dice the wafer into smaller chips.
Eliminating electrostatic charges
Static charge removing device
wavelength of light
X-rays
application area
industry
Harmful electrostatic charges that occur during manufacture of objects with high-speed movement (film, printing, etc.) or during powder packing and wrapping can be removed by using weak x-rays. This technique is called photoionization and is clean technology that generates no dust, electromagnetic noise or ozone.
Cleaning object surfaces
surface modification, dry cleaning
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light
application area
industry
Light is used to disinfect and clean surfaces on medical products, food, and packages, etc. This technology is finding its way into a vast array of applications since it is dry processing that is eco-friendly causing no dust or damage. This also gives a higher processing speed, quality, and production yield.
Monitoring the oxygen in the brain
Cerebral oxygen monitor
wavelength of light
Infrared light
application area
medical
Lack of oxygen or ischemia can damage brain tissue and bring about physical or psychological disabilities and trauma. This makes observation of oxygen in the brain the most critical item to monitor at medical treatment locations such as surgical rooms and emergency medical rescue situations. Cerebral oxygen monitors irradiate a tiny amount of light (near-infrared light ) harmless to the body that allows continuous monitoring of oxygen from deep tissue and blood fluid concentrations in the brain.
Finding new drug candidates
Drug discovery screening system
wavelength of light
Ultraviolet light Visible light
application area
medical
New drugs are created by pharmaceutical companies through the R&D process often extending over dozens of years. Screening in this process is the task of searching for potential drugs from thousands of chemical compounds and is an indispensable process for development of efficient new drugs. The new candidate compound screening system involves measuring cellular reactions, such as luminescence and fluorescence, influenced by the chemical compounds by using highly sensitive optical sensors and picking out those hit compounds will be the candidates for new drugs. It is capable of measuring more than 1500 reactions at once which will be a powerfully assists the new drug discovery research.
Lasers essential for product manufacturing
laser beam machining
wavelength of light
application area
industry
Light beam has features such as superb directivity and coherency in which the light concentrates at an overlapping wavelength and phase. These features make lasers ideal as a light source for machining and processing. Lasers are used for all types of processes including laser marking, welding, cutting, hole drilling, brazing, hardening, soldering, resin welding, and even micromachining.
Creating a sun on the earth
laser fusion
wavelength of light
application area
energy
Power generation by nuclear fusion has been researched as a next-generation energy source. Currently, many research institutions are searching for ways to extract the huge energy from nuclear reactions derived from making atomic nuclei containing positively charge plasma collide with one another. The raw material used in nuclear fusion exists in limitless quantities in seawater, another advantage is that this is a clean and highly safe energy source offering a multitude of future possibilities. Laser fusion utilizes light energy from a laser to generate power from nuclear fusion and so is capable of continuous nuclear fusion reactions via a high-output high-efficiency semiconductor laser.
Optical sensors serving as key devices in electronic equipment
Optical sensors serving as key devices in electronic equipment
wavelength of light
application area
home
Optical devices that function as key devices can be found in a vast array of tools (electronic devices) that we use daily throughout the world such as automatic doors, automated ticket gates, vending machines, automatic teller machines, cars and cell phones as well as in medical diagnostics and treatment and environmental observation, etc. Optical sensors can obtain all types of information such as an object's size, length, position, distance, contour, brightness, color, temperature and composition by converting light into electrical signals. Applications for optical sensors are steadily expanding and diversifying. R&D in technology to utilize light (photonics) is thriving in a wide range of fields so that a "21st Century as the age of photonics" appears to be well on its way.