BluGlass Achieves Breakthrough in Single-Frequency Laser Technology

In March 2025, Australian photonics company **BluGlass** set a new benchmark in single-mode gallium nitride (GaN) laser technology, announcing a record **1250 mW** output from a single emitter while maintaining single-spatial-mode operation. This marks a **67% improvement** over its previous record of 750 mW achieved just months prior at Photonics West 2025 [oai_citation:1,BluGlass demonstrates ‘record’ single-mode GaN laser] [oai_citation:2,BluGlass boosts single-mode GaN laser chip output by 67% to record 1250mW]

The innovation stems from BluGlass’s **monolithic chip design**, which integrates a blue (450nm) single-mode laser master oscillator with a power amplifier in a single compact system (SM-MOPA). This configuration enables the laser to deliver high power without compromising beam quality or introducing additional noise — a common limitation in conventional high-power laser systems.

This development is particularly significant for **defense, quantum sensing, navigation, space communications**, and **underwater LiDAR**, where precision, stability, and small form factors are critical. BluGlass's CEO, Jim Haden, emphasized that this world-record performance allows high-fidelity lasers to be manufactured at the wafer level, reducing both **cost** and **size** while improving **manufacturing scalability** [oai_citation:3,BluGlass achieves world-record performance with single-mode GaN laser - Sharecafe] [oai_citation:4,BluGlass boosts single-mode GaN laser chip output by 67% to record 1250mW].

Additionally, BluGlass has **quadrupled the output** of its distributed feedback (DFB) laser family — from 100 mW to 450 mW — while maintaining near single-frequency operation. These advances position BluGlass as a leading player in the global push for compact, high-performance photonic devices.