INTRODUCTION
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This new BCC report provides a detailed market situation and analysis of economic parameters such as market volumes, needs, and opportunities
within the laser industry. The report provides an analysis of laser applications divided between current (2001 - 2003) and future (to 2008)
applications in the following areas, including:
- Industry and material processing
- Medicine
- Basic research
- Instrumentation
- Others: entertainment, optical storage, remote sensing
The main goals for this study are:
- Investigate the current applications and future potential of lasers based on various types of products.
- Characterize and analyze current and future worldwide markets for the main laser applications.
- Analyze the strength of products versus opportunities.
- Identify and analyze the major industrial players that are actively involved in the field of laser systems and components.
- Depict and estimate the future trend in terms of product development, needs, and economical parameters (market size, unit price, total sales,
total units) according to laser type, application, and geographical zone.
- Analyze the drawbacks of available commercial products based on various types of lasers.
- Identify the current major developments regarding various types of lasers, laser technology, laser materials, and laser applications.
- Analyze the technology, patents, and major players in the field.
A laser is a light source that produces highly collimated, coherent, and spectrally narrow electromagnetic light, which spans the ultraviolet
(UV), visible, and infrared (IR) spectral regime. There are several types of lasers differentiated by the lasing media (e.g., gas, liquid, or
solid-state). The technology and engineering aspects pertaining to the various types of lasers are different, stemming from the nature of the lasing
media and the pumping technology. Lasers are widely used for various applications including industry, pure science, medicine, diagnostics, and
entertainment. It is expected, based on the trend observed in the past, that in general the use of various types of lasers will increase and dominate
many fields. In particular, it is expected that by improving the reliability of the existing lasers or by introducing solutions to needs, the market
size of some specific types of lasers such as diode-pumped or excimer lasers may increase significantly. Lasers are composed, by definition, of the
following parts: a lasing media, in the form solid, gas or liquid, that can emit coherent light under special physical conditions; a pumping element;
an electrical power supply; and optics. The optic component is usually a combination of two mirrors, one of high reflectivity and the other of partial
reflectivity. The mirrors form an optical cavity that supports oscillations to overcome the internal losses in the cavity.
REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY
This study, initiated by BCC, results from the fact that laser technology is a growing field with enormous impact on various aspects of science and
technology. The subject encompasses various disciplines such as material science, optics, electronics, and quantum electronics. The subject is
technologically attractive and therefore has enormous impact on high-tech industry; therefore, the market analysis and market projections of the
high-tech field are also essential to assess the potential of lasers. Since the information relevant to all types of lasers is growing rapidly, there
is a need to accumulate systematically technical and marketing information in such a way that those interested in the subject will be able to extract
the relevant information easily.
CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY AND FOR WHOM
This BCC report is intended to provide a broad but concise overview of the market potential and business opportunities for solid-state, gas and dye
lasers. This will be done by analysis of products that are based on lasers, their current and potential applications, the major players in the field
and their market strength, and potential products and applications. Also, a detailed patent analysis will be conducted and the major contributors will
be emphasized. The study is intended for those who are interested in:
- Exploring further needs with regard to compact, reliable systems
- Understanding the market needs
- Understanding the market strength of laser-based products
In the last two decades, since the advent of novel laser technologies, there has been an explosion of information pertaining to the field.
Therefore, it was difficult to focus on the main efforts towards promising applications and potential markets. Currently, there is a growing need to
identify the main players and the main products in the field, to identify existing and potential applications, and to re-assess the worldwide market
potential of solid-state lasers and their products. This report provides a thorough analysis of the present and potential markets and applications
of all types of lasers and in particular the report will emphasize:
- Assessment of the main products, applications, and companies that are active in the field
- Identification of present and future market parameters
- Identification of present and future applications per product
- Specification of needs and possible solutions
- Assessment of the industry structure
- Identification of the major participants and the dynamics of the business
- Analysis of the major technologies and products
- Analysis of new technological developments
- Estimate of sales per product and application
- Analysis of the drawbacks of current products, and of the needs that seek solutions
METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES
The analysis presented in this study is based on information derived from professional journals, technical literature, specific information and
catalogs, and on-line sources. In addition, we conducted interviews with industry leaders and sources in the United States and Europe, as well as with
several prominent scientists in leading universities. We also analyzed available on-line and commercial sources with relevant market information and
added our own assessment to that information. In addition, we consulted BCC reports that we considered relevant to our topic. BCC has conducted
several studies in the field of lasers, laser materials, and electro-optics. Such reports for example are (others can be found on the next page):
- GB-221: Solid-state Lasers: Outlook for the Future
- GB-253: Organics for Electro-Optical Applications
- GB-117R: Nonlinear Optical Materials and Applications
We think that this report adds, to the existing ones, additional information-that is, market-oriented technological analysis and forecasts for
the laser industry, including specific products and applications, as well as future trends and developments. | 
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