Energy, Resources And Environment

We urgently need to find solutions to energy- and environment-related problems such as the drying-up of fossil fuels and increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide gas caused by burning those fossil fuels. To that end, research and development are being conducted all over the world in laser nuclear fusion generation as the kind of next-generation energy source we've dreamed of. In nuclear fusion, atoms with a positive charge are made to collide, and the huge amount of energy resulting from the reaction is extracted. Not only does the sea contain an inexhaustible supply of the raw material used for nuclear fusion, but this method holds out numerous possibilities as a clean, highly safe source of energy that will not adversely affect the global environment. Research is being conducted at the Osaka University Laser Nuclear Fusion Research Center in a semiconductor laser excitation solid-state laser with the highest power in the world, as a large-output laser for laser nuclear fusion, and Hamamatsu Photonics is conducting joint research and development in that high-power semiconductor laser for excitation. Expectations of opto-technology are growing as we move towards fulfilling our dream of producing energy through laser nuclear fusion.

If we can use laser nuclear fusion to suppress power production costs and supply power extremely cheaply, we may be able to realize our dream of laser produce factories. The global population is predicted to increase explosively around the middle of this century, and mankind will be faced with the threat of drastic food shortages. If we can establish produce factory technology that uses semiconductor lasers, we can eliminate the shortage of farmland and dramatically improve the food production yield per unit acre. Along with developing semiconductor lasers, Hamamatsu Photonics is promoting research in optical environments for growing produce. Our experiments involve irradiating seeds for rice and other foodstuffs with a semiconductor laser that has the right wavelength necessary for growing the produce. Laser produce factories could be used not just for growing food, but also for producing industrial materials to replace our dwindling reserves of fossil fuels. Making laser nuclear fusion a reality, and developing the high-efficiency, high-power semiconductor lasers used in that fusion, are important elements in our quest for practical ways to grow produce that are not governed by the natural environment.

Using the characteristics of light, such as absorption and fluorescence, we're analyzing pollutants in the air and water, and conducting environmental measurements. Opto-technology is also playing an active role in atmospheric measurements in which the ozone layer and other elements are observed using laser radar. Deuterium lamps, xenon lamps, hollow cathode lamps, photomultiplier tubes, photodiodes, compound optical semiconductor light-receiving elements, and other components are being used in these environmental analysis systems.

Analyzing the environment requires analysis technology that enables highly precise measurement, such as identifying the components and nature of substances. Large numbers of electron multiplier tubes, photomultiplier tubes, deuterium lamps, micro-channel plates (MCPs), various kinds of image sensors, and photodiode arrays are used in spectral analyzers such as mass spectrometers, chromatographs, and spectrophotometers. These are also used in spectral analyzers (PMA series) that incorporate spectrographs and multi-channel photo-detectors.