AA Opto-electronic
AA Opto-electronic is a French photonics company founded in 1979 that designs and manufactures acousto-optic devices and radio frequency drivers for laser beam control, serving scientific research institutions and industrial laser system integrators globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersOrsay, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AA Opto-electronic does
AA Opto-electronic (legal entity AA SAS) is a privately held French photonics company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Orsay, France, with 51-100 employees. It designs and manufactures acousto-optic (AO) devices and the radio frequency (RF) drivers that power them, serving customers in scientific research, academia, and industrial laser systems. Its product portfolio spans wavelengths from 180 nm to 11 µm and includes ten AO device families — modulators, high- and low-resolution deflectors, fiber-pigtailed variants, tunable filters, pulse pickers, and Q-switches — complemented by four RF driver families covering 10 MHz to 3 GHz with power output up to hundreds of Watts, plus a custom engineering service from prototype through volume production. The company self-describes as a "World Leader" in acousto-optic technology, is ISO 9001 certified by LRQA, and complies with RoHS 3, REACH, and POP regulations. It maintains a wholly-owned US subsidiary (Quanta Tech) and a nine-country distributor network covering China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales of AO devices and RF drivers plus professional services for custom developments, with all pricing conducted on a quote-request basis.
AA Opto-electronic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AA Opto-electronic
- Legal name
- AA SAS
- Website
- https://aaoptoelectronic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- AA Opto-electronic is a French photonics company founded in 1979 that designs and manufactures acousto-optic devices and radio frequency drivers for laser beam control, serving scientific research institutions and industrial laser system integrators globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AA Opto-electronic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Acousto-optic Components
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)
Keywords
Where AA Opto-electronic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orsay
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AA Opto-electronic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Acousto-optic Devices Sales: Sale of standard and custom acousto-optic devices including modulators, deflectors, tunable filters, Q-switches, and pulse pickers. Both standard products and custom-designed solutions are offered.
- RF Drivers Sales: Sale of radio frequency drivers including fixed frequency drivers (10 MHz to 3 GHz), variable frequency drivers, power amplifiers, and synchro drivers.
- Custom Development Services: Bespoke product development services for customers requiring customized AO devices or RF drivers tailored to specific application requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for all products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
AA Opto-electronic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AA Opto-electronic designs and manufactures acousto-optic (AO) devices and the radio frequency (RF) drivers that power them, covering wavelengths from 180 nm to 11 µm. The product portfolio includes modulators, deflectors, tunable filters, Q-switches, pulse pickers, fiber-pigtailed variants, and matching fixed/variable frequency RF drivers, plus custom development from prototype through volume production.
Product overview
AA Opto-electronic offers a comprehensive portfolio of Acousto-optic (AO) devices spanning wavelengths from 180 nm to 11 µm, paired with matching Radio Frequency (RF) drivers. The product range includes ten distinct AO device types: Modulators & Fixed Frequency Shifters, High Resolution Deflectors, Low Resolution Deflectors & Variable Frequency Shifters, Fiber Pigtailed Modulators, Tunable Filters, Pulse Pickers, Fiber Pigtailed Pulse Pickers, Q-Switches, Fiber Pigtailed Variable Frequency Shifters, and Fiber Pigtailed High Resolution Deflectors. Complementing these are four RF driver categories: Fixed Frequency Drivers (10 MHz to 3 GHz, up to hundreds of Watts), Variable Frequency Drivers (VCO/DDS-based with USB/RS232/Bluetooth control), Power Amplifiers, and Synchro Drivers for high-speed pulse picking. The company also provides Custom Developments services, enabling bespoke solutions from prototype through volume production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Modulators & Fixed Frequency Shifters Acousto-optic modulators used to vary and control laser beam intensity, also functioning as fixed frequency shifters for research and industrial photonics customers.
- High Resolution Deflectors Acousto-optic Deflectors (AOD) that precisely control and steer laser beams at high speed, enabling rapid, non-mechanical beam scanning for Quantum and other applications.
- Low Resolution Deflectors & Variable Frequency Shifters AO devices optimized for broader frequency range, permitting either variable frequency shifting or low resolution deflection.
- Fiber Pigtailed Modulators & Fixed Frequency Shifters Fiber pigtailed AO devices available with PM or non-PM fibers on standard basis, equippable with any fiber type on request.
- Tunable Filters Acousto-optic tunable filters used to select one or several wavelengths and transmit them individually or simultaneously, with controllable bandwidth.
- Pulse Pickers AO devices used as pulse pickers due to fast rise/fall time, enabling extraction of pulse(s) from high repetition rate lasers.
- Fiber Pigtailed Pulse Pickers Fiber pigtailed AO devices for extracting pulses from high repetition rate lasers without Bragg angle and beam diameter adjustments.
- Q-Switches Acousto-optic Q-switches, typically intracavity devices with high transmission and high damage threshold, equipping most Q-switched lasers for repetition frequencies up to hundreds of kHz.
- Fiber Pigtailed Variable Frequency Shifters Fiber pigtailed AO devices optimized for broad frequency range operation while maintaining high stability and good flatness for insertion losses.
- Fiber Pigtailed High Resolution Deflectors Fiber pigtailed high resolution deflector equipped with input polarization maintaining fiber for plug-and-play operation without Bragg angle adjustments.
- Fixed Frequency Drivers RF drivers based on quartz oscillators producing fixed and stable RF frequency from 10 MHz to 3 GHz with embedded power amplifiers delivering up to hundreds of Watts.
- Variable Frequency Drivers Variable frequency RF drivers based on Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO) or Digital Synthesizers (DDS) with frequency control via USB, RS232, Bluetooth, or external analog signals.
- Power Amplifiers General purpose RF/Optical power amplifiers with large RF bandwidths and high RF power while maintaining low electrical power consumption.
- Synchro Drivers High speed pulse picking drivers with programmable built-in signal generator synchronized on the laser repetition rate.
- Custom Developments Custom AO device and RF driver development services for requirements not met by standard products, from prototype design to large volume manufacturing, using internal resources and in-house capabilities.
Companies that use AA Opto-electronic
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AA Opto-electronic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AA Opto-electronic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered regional.
- II-VI SUWTECH INC.regionalDistributor for China market. Located at Building 65, 421 Hongcao Rd, Shanghai, 200233 China.
- PEGASUS OPTIK GmbHregionalDistributor for Germany. Located at Marie-Curie Strasse 23, D-49134 Wallenhorst, Germany.
- TEM CO Ltd.regionalDistributor for Japan. Located at 1-5-6-408, Eda-kita, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 225-0015, Japan.
- SEONGKYEONG PHOTONICSregionalDistributor for South Korea. Located at 401-ho, 355, Jijok-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34071, Republic of Korea.
- LUCIUS PHOTONICSregionalDistributor for India. Located at B 108, Street No.1, Majlis Park, Delhi 110033, India.
- Simple Technologies Private LimitedregionalDistributor for Singapore. Located at 67 Ubi Road 1, #08-10 Oxley Bizhub, Singapore 408730.
- ONSET ELECTRO-OPTICS Co. Ltd.regionalDistributor for Taiwan. Located at 5F-2, No. 129, Lane 235, Bao Chiao Rd., Hsintien City, Taipei 231, Taiwan.
- PHOTON LINES LtdregionalDistributor for UK. Located at Magenta, 2 Brookhill Way, Banbury OX16 3ED, United Kingdom.
- QUANTA TECHregionalDistributor for USA. Located at 60 Broad Street – Suite 3502, New York, NY 10004, USA. Noted as an AA Opto-electronic Company.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AA Opto-electronic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Analog Devices: Global semiconductor leader (incorporating legacy Hittite Microwave) offering RF and microwave amplifiers and driver ICs relevant to AA's RF driver business, though operating at a vastly larger scale and broad customer base.
- MKS Instruments: US-based instrumentation and photonics platform whose Spectra-Physics division supplies lasers, AO modulators, and pulse pickers - overlapping product categories and overlapping customer use cases in scientific research and industrial photonics.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese optoelectronic device manufacturer offering a broad range of photonic components including modulators and optical sensors - overlapping with AA in photonics components for research and industrial markets, though at much larger scale.
- Thorlabs: US-headquartered photonics components manufacturer and distributor with broad coverage of optical and electro-optic components including AO devices - serving the same scientific research and OEM customer base as AA.
- Coherent: US-headquartered laser and photonics conglomerate that manufactures complete laser systems and certain AO components. Competes with AA indirectly as a broader portfolio player and notably owns the AA distributor (II-VI SUWTECH) in China.
Direct peers
- Mini-Circuits: US-based manufacturer of RF/microwave components including high-power amplifiers and signal-conditioning modules directly comparable to AA's RF driver and power amplifier portfolio for photonics-driving applications.
- Isomet Corporation: US-based specialist focused exclusively on acousto-optic devices including modulators, deflectors, scanners, and tunable RF drivers - directly comparable in both product portfolio and B2B scientific/industrial customer segment.
- Brimrose Corporation: US-based manufacturer of acousto-optic devices (modulators, deflectors, tunable filters, Q-switches) and matching RF drivers - a head-to-head competitor across the same AO and RF driver product lines.
- Gooch & Housego: UK-headquartered photonics specialist that manufactures acousto-optic modulators, deflectors, Q-switches, and frequency shifters - the closest direct competitor to AA Opto-electronic across the same AO device categories and customer base.
Emerging players
- Sintec Optronics: Asia-based supplier of acousto-optic and electro-optic components including AO modulators and deflectors, serving similar industrial laser and research customers with competitive pricing pressure on AA in regional accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AA Opto-electronic social profiles
Digital presenceAA Opto-electronic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
AA Opto-electronic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AA Opto-electronic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
AA Opto-electronic subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
AA Opto-electronic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AA Opto-electronic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AA Opto-electronic
What does AA Opto-electronic do?
AA Opto-electronic designs and manufactures acousto-optic (AO) devices and the radio frequency (RF) drivers that power them, covering wavelengths from 180 nm to 11 µm. The product portfolio includes modulators, deflectors, tunable filters, Q-switches, pulse pickers, fiber-pigtailed variants, and matching fixed/variable frequency RF drivers, plus custom development from prototype through volume production.
Is AA Opto-electronic a public or private company?
AA Opto-electronic is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was AA Opto-electronic founded?
AA Opto-electronic was founded in 1979. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is AA Opto-electronic based?
AA Opto-electronic is headquartered in Orsay, France, in the Europe region.
How does AA Opto-electronic make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Acousto-optic Devices Sales are the primary driver. The others are RF Drivers Sales and custom Development Services.
Who are AA Opto-electronic's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Analog Devices, MKS Instruments, Hamamatsu Photonics, Thorlabs and Coherent. Direct peers are Mini-Circuits, Isomet Corporation, Brimrose Corporation and Gooch & Housego. Sintec Optronics is listed as an emerging player.
Does AA Opto-electronic have an API?
No public API is recorded for AA Opto-electronic.
What industry is AA Opto-electronic in?
AA Opto-electronic's product category is Acousto-optic Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAJAF, Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors). Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3670.