Look at the frontier
Researchers from Stockholm University in Sweden, the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics and the University of Cafuscari in Venice have succeeded for the first time in demonstrating how lasers can induce quantum behavior at room temperature and make non-magnetic materials magnetic. This breakthrough is expected to pave the way for faster and more energy-efficient computers, information transmission, and data storage. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.
This time, the research team placed a quantum material, strontium titanate, in a short, intense laser beam with a special wavelength and polarization, which produced induced magnetism. This method allows light to move atoms and electrons in a material in a circular motion, creating an electric current and making it magnetic like a refrigerator magnet.
Researchers did this by developing a new source of far-infrared light. The light source has polarization in the shape of a "corkscrew". This is the first time they were able to induce and clearly see in an experiment how the material becomes magnetic at room temperature.
Magnets are usually made of metal, and the new method allows for the manufacture of magnetic materials from many insulators. This breakthrough is expected to be widely used in a variety of information technologies, opening the door to the development of ultrafast magnetic switches, information transmission and data storage, and faster and more energy-efficient computers. The results have been replicated in several other laboratories. A paper in the same issue of Nature shows that this method can be used to write and store magnetic information, which will open a new chapter in the design of new materials with light.
Image source: Photo.com
Technical Value Observation
After years of development, China's laser technology has been widely used in all walks of life, forming a complete industrial chain. The upstream of the laser industry chain mainly includes light source materials, optical components and other materials that make up lasers; The midstream is mainly for various lasers, mechanical systems, numerical control systems, others such as power supplies, radiators, sensors, analyzers, protective glasses, etc.; The downstream is a complete set of laser equipment, such as laser cutting machine, laser welding equipment, laser marking machine, etc. The terminal application fields of the laser industry chain involve transportation, medical treatment, batteries, home appliances, commercial use, etc.
For the first time, the researchers have succeeded in demonstrating how lasers can induce quantum behavior at room temperature, doing so by developing a new "far-infrared light source" and clearly seeing how non-magnetic materials become magnetic at room temperature. Therefore, from the perspective of the laser industry chain, the technology is in the upstream link of the industrial chain.
Macro Market Watch
——The key sales area of the global laser industry has been transferred to China
China is a big manufacturing country, in recent years, the proportion of laser application in the mainland manufacturing industry, especially the equipment manufacturing industry, has been increasing, and the corresponding global laser sales focus area has been transferred to China.
According to data released by Laser Focus World and Photonics Views, China's laser market will reach US$13.5 billion in 2022, accounting for about 67% of the global laser market.
According to the information disclosed by the Wuhan Literature and Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the size of China's laser equipment market will reach 86.2 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for about 59% of the global laser equipment market size.
——The total market size of China's laser industry continues to expand
The structure of China's laser market is mainly divided into laser processing equipment, optical communication devices and equipment, laser measurement equipment, lasers, laser medical equipment, laser components, etc. From 2016 to 2022, the total market size of the mainland laser industry continued to expand. According to the market size of China's laser components, lasers, and laser processing equipment in 2022, the overall market size of China's laser industry in 2022 has reached 218.6 billion yuan, an increase of 6.4% year-on-year.
——In 2023, China's laser industry will achieve a trade surplus for the first time
According to the data disclosed by the General Administration of Customs of China, the import value of China's laser industry is fluctuating and declining, the export volume is fluctuating and rising, and the total import and export volume is fluctuating.
From 2018 to 2022, the trade surplus of the mainland laser industry has always been negative, and it is in a state of trade deficit. From January to November 2023, the trade surplus of China's laser industry was 425 million yuan, achieving a trade surplus for the first time.
——The revenue scale of representative listed companies in the laser industry is expanding
At present, the representative listed companies in the mainland laser industry mainly include Han's Laser, Hymsing, Huagong Technology, Ruike Laser and Jieput. Several representative listed companies are leading enterprises in the laser and laser equipment market, and laser-related businesses account for a relatively high proportion, with Hymson, Ruike Laser and JPT Laser-related businesses accounting for more than 90% of the company's total revenue.
Note: The proportion of Han's Laser's laser-related business is 2021 data, and the specific data for 2022 has not been announced, please forgive me.
From the perspective of operating income, from 2018 to 2022, the operating income of the five representative listed companies in the laser industry showed an upward trend as a whole. Among them, Han's Laser has the highest operating income, with an operating income of 14.961 billion yuan in 2022 and 9.387 billion yuan in 2023. On the whole, the revenue scale of the mainland laser industry is expanding, and the operating conditions are good.
-- Domestic substitution is an inevitable trend
According to the data released by the Wuhan Literature and Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the perspective of market penetration, in the 1-3KW power band fiber laser market, the market share of domestic fiber lasers will reach 97.3% in 2022, which has basically achieved localization; In the 3-6KW power range fiber laser market, the penetration rate of domestic lasers has increased rapidly from 15.8% in 2018 to 95.7% in 2022; In the 6-10KW power segment fiber laser market, the domestic penetration rate will reach 58.6% in 2022. In the fiber laser market with a power range of more than 10KW, the penetration rate of domestic lasers has increased rapidly from 5.7% in 2018 to 64.1% in 2022. The competition in the domestic market of the 3~10kW product segment tends to be white-hot, and the main battlefield of the price war has also shifted from the 1-3kW product segment to the 6-10kW product segment. With the continuous advancement of domestic substitution of lasers, the domestic substitution of the mainland laser industry is an inevitable trend in the future.
Heat map of China's laser technology track
According to the forward-looking industry heat map, the city clusters strongly associated with the key laser technology are mainly concentrated in South China, and the key development areas in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the future layout of laser technology and other advanced laser technology development path, the great possibility is that South China and East China give priority to the introduction, which can focus on Longhua District and Bao'an District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, Tianhe District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, where the laser industry research and development, design of related enterprises, as well as the local investment environment for the development of the laser industry, the potential space of the supply market.
Prospective Economist APP Information Group
For more research and analysis of this industry, please refer to the "China Laser Industry Market Prospect and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report" by the Prospective Industry Research Institute.
At the same time, the Prospective Industry Research Institute also provides solutions such as industrial big data, industrial research reports, industrial planning, park planning, industrial investment, industrial mapping, smart investment promotion system, industry status certification, IPO consulting/fundraising feasibility study, IPO working paper consulting, etc. To quote the content of this article in any public information disclosure such as prospectus and annual report, formal authorization from Qianzhan Industry Research Institute is required.
More in-depth industry analysis is available in the [Prospective Economist APP], and you can also communicate and interact with 500+ economists/senior industry researchers. More enterprise data, enterprise information, and enterprise development are all in the [Qichamao APP], the most cost-effective and most comprehensive enterprise query platform.