Acousto-optic Devices Market

[148 Pages Report] The overall acousto-optic devices market was valued at USD 285.1 million in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 469.1 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.24% during the forecast period. The base year considered for the study is 2015, and the forecast has been provided for the period from 2016 to 2022.

Increased implementation of advanced acousto-optic materials drives the global acousto-optic devices market

A variety of different acousto-optic materials are used depending on the laser parameters such as laser wavelength (optical transmission range), divergence, and power density. For the visible and near infrared regions, the modulators are commonly made from gallium phosphide, tellurium dioxide, indium phosphide, or fused quartz. Lithium niobate, indium phosphide, and gallium phosphide are mainly used for high-frequency (GHz) signal processing devices. Recently, the use of advanced AO materials has made it easy to fabricate multichannel AO devices with a wide range of bandwidth, and these devices play an important role in the application of optical matrix processing. These AO materials also increase the capabilities of AO system designs for designing real-time ambiguity function generation for radar signals. AO interaction becomes easy with the use of appropriate AO materials and AO devices in Q-switching and locking for pulsed laser systems. Also, AO tunable filters are used in optical signal processing. So, the use of advance materials in AO devices will help these devices to modulate and control high wavelength laser beams for various applications and increase its demand for large laser applications.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Increased implementation of advanced AO materials
• Growing laser applications in scientific sector

Restraints

• High Initial cost and increasing requirement-specific R&D expenses

Opportunities

• Emerging applications of AO devices in various fields
• Growing use of fiber lasers leading the demand for AO devices

Challenges

• Limitation associated with use of AO devices in space-based applications

The following are the major objectives of the study.

• To define, describe, and forecast the global acousto-optic devices market, in terms of value, segmented on the basis of device type, application, vertical, and geography
• To describe the materials used in AO devices
• To forecast the market size for various segments with regard to four main regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW)
• To provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)
• To use the Porter’s five forces model to gauge the entry barriers to this market, along with the analysis of the value chain
• To strategically analyze the micromarkets1 with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and contribution to the total market
• To analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying high-growth segments in the global acousto-optic (AO) devices  market
• To strategically profile key players, comprehensively analyze their market ranking and core competencies2, and detail the competitive landscape of the market
• To analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and development in the global acousto-optic devices market

During this research study, major players operating in the acousto-optic devices market in various regions have been identified, and their offerings, regional presence, and distribution channels have been analyzed through in-depth discussions. Top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to determine the overall market size. Sizes of the other individual markets have been estimated using the percentage splits obtained through secondary sources, such as Hoovers, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Factiva, as well as through the discussions with the primary respondents. The entire procedure includes the study of the annual and financial reports of the top market players and extensive interviews with industry experts such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and marketing executives for key insights (both qualitative and quantitative) pertaining to the market. The figure below shows the breakdown of the primaries on the basis of the company type, designation, and region considered during the research study.

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure

Market Ecosystem:

The key players in the ecosystem of the acousto-optic devices market profiled in this report are Gooch & Housego PLC (UK), Isomet Corporation (US), Brimrose Corporation of America (US), Harris Corporation (US), AMS Technologies AG (Germany), Coherent, Inc. (US), AA Opto Electronic (France), A·P·E Angewandte Physik & Elektronik GmbH (Germany), IntraAction Corp. (US), and Lightcomm Technology Co., Ltd. (China).

Target Audience:

• Device manufacturers and suppliers
• Laser system manufacturers and providers
• Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
• Optical instruments manufacturers
• Software providers
• Research organizations
• Technology standards organizations, forums, alliances, and associations
• Technology investors
• Governments, financial institutions, and investment communities
• End users 

Critical Questions

• What are new devices being explored by the acousto-optic materials?
• Which are the key players in the market and how intense is the competition?

Report Scope:

By Device

• Acousto-optic Modulator
• Acousto-optic  Deflector
• Acousto-optic Frequency Shifter
• Acousto-optic Tunable Filter
• Acousto-optic Q-switch
• Mode Locker
• Pulse Picker/Cavity Dumper
• RF Driver

By Application

• Material Processing
• Laser Processing
• Micro Processing
• Others (Optical Communication and Signal Processing)

By Vertical

• Aerospace and Defense
• Life Science and Scientific Research
• Medical
• Industrial
• Telecom
• Semiconductor and Electronics
• Oil and Gas

By Geography

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Rest of Europe (Greece, Spain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden)
• APAC
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Rest of APAC (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan)
• RoW
  • Middle East and Africa
  • Latin America

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations according to a company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five)

The overall acousto-optic devices market is expected to grow from USD 308.4 million in 2016 to USD 469.1 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.24% between 2016 and 2022. Increased implementation of advanced AO materials and growing laser applications in scientific sector are the key factors driving the growth of this market.

Acousto-optic (AO) devices are mainly used with laser systems internally or externally for the electronic control of the intensity and position of the laser beam. In an AO effect, when an incident laser beam passes through a grating due to the interaction of acoustic waves and light in acousto-optical medium, the laser beam behaves as a reflective index wave and diverted its optical path. Then appropriate AO devices are used to provide high efficiency for laser applications by controlling this laser beam for appropriate optical path. There is a growing use of AO devices for the deflection, modulation, signal processing, and frequency shifting of light beams in various verticals. This report analyzes the acousto-optic devices market segmented on the basis of device type, application, vertical, and geography.

On the basis of device type, acousto-optic devices market has been segmented into modulators, deflectors, tunable filters, frequency shifters, Q-switches, mode lockers, pulse pickers/ cavity dumpers, and RF drivers. The market for modulators is expected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period. Acousto-optic modulators are increasingly deployed to provide a reliable, economical means for amplitude modulation of laser light. One important application of AO modulators is to serve as an external modulator in the laser communication systems. This is expected to boost the market for modulators in the future.

The acousto-optic devices market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. A huge population base, increasing investments toward the development of optics technologies, large number of research and development (R&D) activities, and increasing focus of laser applications for the industrial and telecom verticals are driving the acousto-optic devices market in the APAC region.

One of the key restraining factors in the acousto-optic devices market is the slow implementation of acousto-optic device because of the high Initial cost and increasing requirement-specific R&D expenses in this market. The use of AO devices varies for a wide range of wavelengths to measure or process laser beams for different processes, systems, and applications. These devices require different AO materials according to the requirements for different levels of light intensity. A high initial investment is required to design or manufacture these components, which is one of the major restraining factors for the AO devices market. The cost of research and development process is also high. Furthermore, the use of these devices in industries such as semiconductor and electronics, oil and gas, and other industries reduces the various related application costs; it requires significant investments for its implementation.

The key players in the ecosystem of the acousto-optic devices market profiled in this report are Gooch & Housego PLC (UK), Isomet Corporation (US), Brimrose Corporation of America (US), Harris Corporation (US), AMS Technologies AG (Germany), Coherent, Inc. (US), AA Opto Electronic (France), A·P·E Angewandte Physik & Elektronik GmbH (Germany), IntraAction Corp. (US), and Lightcomm Technology Co., Ltd. (China). These players have adopted a major strategy of acquisitions and product launches to grow in acousto-optic devices market.

Growth of acousto-optic devices market driven by industrial vertical

Aerospace and Defense

In range-finding applications, the use of an appropriate optical source is very important. In armed forces, such devices are crucial for various applications. The use of acousto-optic devices is likely to facilitate the development of defensive systems and bring down their operational costs. Satellite surveillance could be improved through the introduction of RF-based optical networks in the satellite. These factors have resulted in the need for advanced systems that could provide cost-effective yet powerful devices for aerospace and defense applications. Communication is an integral part of defense operations. The use of acousto-optic devices with laser technology has brought significant enhancements in communication, owing to which, acousto-optic devices could be successfully used in defense communication systems.

Life Science and Scientific Research

In the scientific research vertical, lasers are widely used for many purposes such as in the detection of gravitational waves, Raman spectroscopy, atmospheric remote sensing, seismology, and atmospheric physics. Apart from these applications, space communication has also registered considerable developments in the recent years under the research category. Laser technology is expected to gain importance for transmitting large quantity of data between satellites which in turn would increase the demand of acousto-optic devices in the life science and scientific research vertical.

Medical

Acousto-optic devices have various uses in the medical vertical such as medical screening, surgery, vision correction, endoscopy, remote medicine, angioplasty, tumor therapy, and skin and dental dermatology. The medical devices and equipment for above mentioned treatments are expensive. Hence, the cost of treatments using these equipment/devices is high. With the developments of telecare and laser treatments in medical application, the use of optics technologies may lead to a reduction in the cost of medical equipment and devices through the implementation of laser source for treatments. Moreover, the research on acousto-optic devices in the mid-infrared region would revolutionize the field of biomedicine.

Industrial

Industrial vertical is one of the largest application areas for acousto-optic devices. Acousto-optic modulators, deflectors, frequency shifters, tunable filters, and other devices have a number of important uses in the industrial processes. The industrial vertical would have the highest market share of 23.45% by 2022. The major applications such as laser scanning, printing, material processing among others would lead to the increase in the demand of acousto-optic devices in the industrial vertical.

Telecom

Lasers play an important role for long distance communication in telecom sector. Laser beams can be formed in a range of wavelengths from ultraviolet to the infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum using acousto-optic devices. The acousto-optic devices are being used in the telecommunication vertical for transmission of data through laser or light beams. Laser communication provides high data transfer rates with lower power consumption and is also a highly secure medium of data transmission. Apart from data transmission in the telecom vertical, acousto-optic devices are also used for tasks such as signal strength optimization, precise network design, and proper tower placement.

Semiconductor and Electronics

In the semiconductor and electronics vertical, acousto-optic devices are being used for Q-switching and mode locking of laser beam for a wide range of applications including cutting, marking, deflashing, decapping, annealing, and inspection among others. Laser technology has proved to be beneficial for cutting applications in the semiconductor and electronics vertical, especially for cutting application in manufacturing of miniaturized semiconductor components such as miniaturized memory cards (ìSD). Half-cut technology which is a combination of a mechanical saw, and laser is one of the technologies being used for this purpose as it offers less surface roughness and higher performance than other conventional methods. These factors would increase the demand of acousto-optics devices to perform laser operations on materials.

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas is one of the world's largest verticals. Due to a high demand for petroleum products, oil and gas companies are generating huge revenues and have high operating costs. However, the market for acousto-optic devices for oil and gas vertical is very small and has a less growth rate between 2016 and 2022. In the oil and gas vertical, acousto-optic components are used for sensing applications such as pressure and temperature.

Critical questions would be as follows:

• Where will all market-related developments take the acousto-optic devices industry in the mid to long term?
• What are the emerging industries for acousto-optic devices?

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