Gentec Electro-Optics Announces Acquisition of Laser and Terahertz Instrumentation and Detection Manufacturer Spectrum Detector

Quebec City, CANADA — Gentec Electro-Optics, Inc., the oldest player in the laser beam measurement market, has announced today the acquisition of the Oregon based laser and terahertz measurement manufacturer Spectrum Detector, Inc. The acquisition expands Gentec Electro-Optics’ product offering in currently untapped markets, and adds Spectrum Detector’s expertise to the company’s long experience in the laser measurement business.

“Spectrum Detector’s products are so remarkably complementary to ours that the decision to acquire the company was simple to make, and both sides are very excited to work together”, says Mr. Michel Giroux, president and CEO of Gentec Electro-Optics. Spectrum Detector products cover areas left ignored by the other laser measurement players, and that has been the company’s business model from the beginning. “Classic laser measurement products were already out there, so when we founded Spectrum Detector, we decided to aim wider, and pursue applications that were ignored by others”, mentions Mr. Don Dooley, president and founder of Spectrum Detector. With this idea in mind, and within just a few years, Spectrum Detector managed to develop an extensive line of sensors and instruments for laser and terahertz measurement, and have provided NIST with many custom instruments used as optical calibration transfer standards. With the addition of Spectrum Detector products, Gentec Electro-Optics will now have measurement solutions for the new and rapidly expanding THz market, ultra-sensitive optical Joulemeters for applications down to femtojoules, instruments for pulse to pulse energy measurements up to 130 kHz and Optical TRAP detectors that act as primary calibration standards, to name a few.

This wide product offering is backed by a highly experienced team. Spectrum Detector’s president and founder, Don Dooley, has been in the laser measurement business for more than 30 years. He was also the founder and CEO of Molectron Detector Inc, bought by Coherent in 2002. He started Spectrum Detector in 2006, with his long-time friend and partner Mark Stout, also of the Molectron Detector team. “My team and I have more than 60 years combined experience in pyroelectric detectors, optical instrumentation, laser power and energy measurement products and NIST traceable optical calibration”, says Mr. Dooley.

With the acquisition, a new entity has been formed. This new company, named Gentec-EO USA, Inc., employs all the former Spectrum Detector employees, with Mr. Don Dooley as general manager. By creating this entity, Gentec Electro-Optics aims to strengthen its presence in the US.

The acquisition of Spectrum Detector by Gentec Electro-Optics went smoothly and both parties are convinced that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. “It’s one of those win-win situations that you always look for when doing business, but that are usually very difficult to find”, Mr. Giroux points out, to which Mr. Dooley replies “We have the highly specialized complementary products, they have the high quality mainstream products, the sales force, and a strong presence in the market; only good things can come from that association”.

About Spectrum Detector

Established in 2006, Spectrum Detector Inc. has developed a large number of unique Photonics Instruments that include Optical and Laser Power Meters, Pulsed Laser Energy Meters, High Speed 130 kHz Joulemeters, Broadband Pyroelectric Detectors and Radiometers, and a unique, industry leading line of THz Sensors and Instruments for power and energy measurements from 0.1 to 30 THz. Many of their instruments are designed for use while powered over a USB connection to a computer and feature unique LabView Applications Software. The company was established by Don Dooley, the former founder of Molectron Detector, and employs a number of Senior Technical Staff that have worked with Mr. Dooley over the past 30 years. They have designed and built many custom Pyroelectric Sensors and Electronics for the National Standards Labs which are used as calibration transfer standards.

About Gentec Electro-Optics

Located in Quebec City, Canada, Gentec Electro-Optics has a long history in the laser measurement field with 40 years of experience. The first laser energy meter in the world has been initially developed for internal use as Gentec Inc. were putting the first high repetition rate TEA CO2 lasers on the market in 1970. Gentec, Inc. introduced the first pyroelectric joulemeters shortly after that. They were also the first to manufacture both thermopile wattmeters and pyroelectric joulemeters. In the mid 1990’s, Gentec introduced the WB series with an average power density damage threshold of 100 kW/cm² that is still unrivalled today. In 2000, Gentec Electro-Optics, Inc. was formed from Gentec, Inc. so that the focus was entirely on laser measurement. The company now manufactures a complete range of laser power meters, laser energy meters, monitors, photo detectors, OEM detectors, beam diagnostics and diffractive optics. Gentec Electro-Optics is also known as the first worldwide supplier of large aperture calorimeters to measure the highest pulse energies. Thanks to their unique calorimeter technology, Gentec Electro-Optics has a strong presence in all the major inertial confinement laser fusion laboratories around the world.