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Thorlabs Brings Miniature Full-Featured Power Meter to Photonics Market

Newton, NJ - June 19, 2013 - Thorlabs, a leading manufacturer of photonics products, announced today the release of its all-in-one wireless power meter with built-in power sensor. The new PM160 has an Organic LED (OLED) screen for local operation as well as Bluetooth wireless technology and a USB port for remote control with a PC. The battery provides up to 20 hours of continuous operation while in the Bluetooth mode and is rechargeable via USB.

Designed to detect light in the 400 to 1100 nm range, the Ø9.5 mm ultra-slim silicon sensor can measure optical powers between 10 nW and 2 mW. A neutral density filter slides along the sensor arm and snaps into place over the sensor, increasing the maximum measurable power to 200 mW. Each power meter is individually calibrated and shipped with a unit-specific calibration certificate.
Handheld Power Meter


“We recently demonstrated our PM160 power meter at two tradeshows: LASER World of PHOTONICS in Munich, Germany and CLEO in San Jose, CA,” said Katrin Kunitz, R&D Manager of Thorlabs GmbH. “At both shows, it generated considerable interest among attendees.”

The sleek body of the power meter is designed for comfortable handheld use and has three taps for post mounting in a variety of configurations. The arm containing the sensor is a mere 3.5 mm thick (6 mm with the filter) and can rotate up to 270°, making this device ideal for power measurements in tight spaces. An adapter is included that enables integration into fiber optic systems.

When controlled locally through the OLED screen menus, the power meter can be zeroed, programmed to display the average power of an incident beam, or set to output the maximum power reading over a user-specified measurement period. The applications for remote control add additional functionality, including the ability to log and save multiple measurements over a user-specified time period.

To see a full set of specifications, please visit the complete product presentation on our website.

About Thorlabs:Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer, was founded in 1989 to serve the laser and electro-optics research market. As that market has grown and expanded into new research areas, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to consistently serve its industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of VCSEL lasers that are being integrated into OCT systems, fiber towers for drawing both silica and fluoride glass optical fibers, brushless DC motor technology for advanced microscopy positioning stages, advanced thin film deposition capabilities, and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.