Buying Laser Guide Stars
Laser beams can be used to generate artificial stars, creating bright spots in the sky that can be used for astronomical instruments. These guide stars help detect atmospheric distortions, allowing adaptive optics to compensate for them and improve the quality of astronomical observations.
Making Good Purchase Decisions
As the most professional photonics purchasing portal, RP Photonics helps you to not only to find all relevant suppliers (not limited to our advertisers), but also to make good purchasing decisions.
NEW: Structured Decision Process
Purchasing involves a lot of responsibility. We recommend that you apply best practice by using the following structured process: Go through the following expandable sections, complete the form and finally come to a purchase decision. You can then print that to a PDF for documenting the process.
Our article on best practices for purchasing and another one explaining this tool give you valuable insights.
Suppliers for Laser Guide Stars
6 suppliers for laser guide stars are listed in the RP Photonics Buyer's Guide, out of which 4 present their product descriptions. Both manufacturers and distributors can be registered.
Suppliers with Advertising Package
presenting their product descriptions
 all wavelengths. TOPTICA Photonics AGLochhamer Schlag 19 82166 Gräfelfing Germany See us at LASER World of Photonics 2025 in Munich, June 24–27 (booth B2.103)! |  TOPTICA Projects offers high-power cw Guide Star lasers, delivering more than 20 W of optical output power, tunable around 589 nm (sodium resonance). These systems are currently in use at all major optical telescopes and provide an outstanding performance. Product-specific web page |
 High-power & single-frequency VECSELs at 350–2150 nm for quantum technology Vexlum LtdKauhakorvenkatu 53 B 33710 Tampere Finland See us at LASER World of Photonics 2025 in Munich, June 24–27 (booth B2.441)! |  VEXLUM offers VECSEL technology as a cost-effective alternative to traditional diode and fiber amplifier setups for sodium guide star lasers. For more information or to start a discussion, contact the VEXLUM team. Product-specific web page |
 Helping our customers reach their research @ commercial goals for over 45 years MPB CommunicationsHead Office 147 Hymus Boulevard Montreal, Quebec H9R 1E9 Canada See us at OFC 2025 in San Francisco, April 1–3 (booth 2743)! |  MPBC is part of the “GuideStar Alliance,” contributing the Raman fiber amplifier and fiber laser pumps to the most powerful fiber laser guide star systems used in astronomy. The Raman fiber amplifier technology was first developed and patented by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). MPBC licensed the technology, and have collaborated to develop reliable, maintenance-free, ruggedized systems installed at:
Since joining the GuideStar Alliance, MPBC has developed a narrow band diffraction-limited Raman fiber amplifier (RFA) at 1178 nm providing 130 W of output power. These RFA units also have the advantage of a remote pumping scheme, allowing the user to integrate the RFA up to 50 m away from the electronics cabinet, ideal where available space is a factor. MPBC has an expanded single-frequency amplification portfolio, and are able to offer virtually any wavelength where silica-based fibers are transparent, supporting novel applications for the scientific and commercial research community. Product-specific web page |
 No. 888 Jinhu Road High-tech Zone, Changchun 130103 China See us at LASER World of Photonics 2025 in Munich, June 24–27 (booth A2.261)! |  CNI has developed yellow DPSS lasers emitting at 589 nm with small linewidth. This includes both Q-switched and mode-locked versions with high output powers. Product-specific web page |
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Other Suppliers
| Laserglow Technologies Canada M6C 1C |
| Qubig GmbH Germany |
