Osram launches second-generation blue multi-mode laser for high-beam automotive forward lighting, tripling luminance over LEDs

Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH of Regensburg, Germany has launched the PLPT9 450D_E A01, its second-generation blue multi-mode laser which, used as a light source for auxiliary high-beam automotive forward lighting, can illuminate the road further than a conventional high beam, making driving at night safer (since driving at dusk or at night puts great strain on the driver's eyes and reduces their ability to concentrate).

In terms of brightness, laser diodes offer advantages compared with LEDs. At a typical operating current of 2.2A, the PLPT9 450D_E A01 laser reaches an optical output of 3.5W and emits blue light with a wavelength of 447nm. With the help of appropriate optics, the light is focused to a point only a few microns in diameter. A special phosphor converter converts the blue light into the white light required for front lighting applications. The luminance achieved is 600cd/mm2, three times higher than the 200cd/mm2 of an LED light source, doubling the range to 600m.

Qualified for use in cars, the PLPT9 450D_E A01 is approved for an operating temperature range of -40°C to 120°C. Compared with the first generation with three pins, the TO90 package contains only two pins, allowing much easier connection and heat dissipation. Due to the laser’s compact dimensions of only 9mm in diameter and a height of < 4.5mm (without contact pins), headlights can be made much smaller in the future, opening up new design possibilities and performance values for applications in car headlights.

“With our newly developed laser diode, car lights can be designed and built even smaller than before – without compromising light output,” says Walter Rothmund, marketing manager Automotive for Emitter Laser Sensor at Osram Opto. “It combines powerful light with compact dimensions.”

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