Credit: Shutterstock photoHeadquartered in Orlando, Florida, LightPath Technologies Inc LPTH is a company that designs, manufactures, and distributes optical and infrared components such as molded glass aspheric lenses and assemblies, infrared lenses and thermal imaging assemblies, fused fiber collimaters, and gradient index GRADIUM® lenses.
What are LightPath's Products?
LightPath Technologies' products revolve around mainly lens and laser tool development. Their geltech molded glass aspheric lenses provide a single lens solution to laser projection, and are designed to be used in today's high-performance laser tools and measurement systems. These kinds of lenses have enabled high volume production of aspheric optics, all while maintaining high quality at an affordable price; aspheric lenses are usually very expensive to manufacture, but LightPath Technologies found a way to make the molding method cost effective.
Image of geltech aspheric lenses/LightPath Technologies
The company also develops infrared optics. Using the same molded shape as the geltech aspheric lenses, infrared optics are used in IR cameras, which is a non-contact device that detects infrared energy (heat) and converts it into an electronic signal; this is then processed to create a thermal image on a video monitor and perform temperature calculations. LightPath uses Chalcogenide glass that has better thermal performance compared to other infrared materials. It can be used in settings up to 130°C with small focal shifts and constant transmission.
Image of infrared optics/LightPath Technologies
LightPath produces a wide range of products designed to collect light from a fiber optic cable and produce a collimated beam, including small-beam, large-beam, and connectorized collimators. These devices are used to narrow beams of particles or waves.
Image of a small-beam collimator/LightPath Technologies
Image of a large-beam collimator/LightPath Technologies
Image of a connectorized collimator/L:ightPath Technologies
The company also designs GRADIUM lenses which are ideal for high-power laser delivery. These type of lenses have a gradient-index structure, are made from LightPath's proprietary axial gradient index glass, and often allows a GRADIUM singlet to replace a conventional spherical doublet. GRADIUM lenses can be easily exploited to reduce spherical aberrations, resulting in a performance similar to single-term aspheric lenses. This has lead to many of the world's largest fiber laser manufacturers incorporating GRADIUM optics in their laser delivery systems.
Image of GRADIUM lenses/LightPath Technologies
Which Markets Does LightPath Serve?
LightPath serves many different markets. In the defense and para-military industries, the company's technology is found in gun sights (a device on a gun that allows it to be aimed accurately), missile targeting systems, IR (infrared) countermeasures, firefighting cameras, and thermal weapons sights (a tool that helps to find targets at night).
In industrial markets, its technology is seen in laser guides, chemical identification devices, laser diode modules (used in a variety of applications that require a small size, in addition to low power consumption and long operating lifetimes),and optical transceivers.
In the medical industry, the lens-maker's applications are found in flow cytometers, or cell counters.
And in commercial markets, LightPath's technology is found in quantum cascade lasers (a semiconductor laser that emits in the middle to far infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum), facility predictive maintenance devices, and night vision enhancement tools.
Why is LightPath Technologies an Important Company?
Because they have managed to develop low-cost, highly advanced optic, infrared, and laser-based technology that is used on many different industries. LightPath Technologies is a recognized leader in their field, and without their efforts, many of the devices listed above may not have ever been made.
If you are interested in investing in LightPath Technologies, it is a great momentum stock toad to your portfolio . The company holds a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, and has an average earnings surprise of 166.67% as well as a year-over-year growth estimate of 6.25%. LPTH stock sits at $2.68 per share, and is currently up over 5% on the day.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
