Helia Wraps-up Optical Coatings

A new Scottish multi-million pound photonics company is geared up for the future of telecommunications after securing a seven figure private investment deal.

The investment has allowed Helia Photonics Ltd, a Heriot-Watt University spin-out to purchase the coatings division of Terahertz Photonics in a technology transfer deal, and say they are already in discussions with a European partner over a major contract.

Helia Photonics CEO, David Hamilton, says they will be concentrating on a top quality, high value added product, and are well positioned to take advantage of Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) developments in the telecommunications industry. “WDM involves the use of multiple light beams, operating simultaneously but at different wavelengths, all carrying information along the same optical fibre.

“This demands specialist laser light sources which are tunable and of a particularly high quality. Helia will offer high volume coating and characterisation finishing services for laser diode producers to enable them to compete in this rapidly developing market. We have a pool of top quality technical expertise, largely developed at Heriot-Watt University during the 1990`s, and are already seeing strong international interest in our product.”