Leysop Background

As the only UK manufacturer of electro-optic modulators and deflectors, Leysop is particularly proud of their optical workshop skills, having staff that have been involved in the design and fabrication of optical components for more than twenty years. These skills have been directed mainly to the manufacture of optical components used in laser systems, but they are always pleased to quote for any optical component that you may require, either for research or production.

Not all of the optical components that Leysop can supply are listed here, but examples include:

• Production and repolishing of laser rods
• Faraday rods in glass and T.G.G.
• Prisms in glass, quartz and calcite
• Optical components in lithium niobate
• Polished germanium rods
• Optical components in ADP, KDP and KD*P etc.
• Electro optic crystals for optical modulation
• Quartz retardation plates
• Polarizers & polarizing beam splitters
• Beam deflectors

Leysop Key People

Dr. John M. Ley, Director
John began his career at the UKAEA, Aldermaston working on trials instrumentation. He won a UKAEA scholarship to take a Degree at the City University, London and qualified with a first in Electrical Engineering. He continued his studies to take a PhD on Electro-Optic Modulation at Imperial College and then returned to the City University as a lecturer, running a research group working on High Power Laser Systems and laser damage related topics. In 1968 he left to form his own company, Electro-Optic Developments Ltd. (EOD), which was eventually sold to Crossfield Electronics in 1985. In the following year he founded Leysop. John has continuously worked on optical modulation systems and has published over twenty papers on the subject and has been a co-author for a book on optical deflection techniques. In 1999, he co-founded Advanced Optical Technology with Dr. Clive Ireland to develop novel, short pulse laser systems using proprietary Leysop Q-switching techniques.

Phil Franks, Managing Director
Phil joined EOD in 1969 where he developed a particular expertise in the working of the soluble electro-optic crystals such as ADP and KDP. In the mid '80s, when EOD was sold to Crossfield Electronics, Phil transferred over with the business where he soon became Production Manager. Crossfields was subsequently sold to Fuji and Dupont in the late '80s and Phil left in 1990 to join the recently formed Leysop, later to become Leysop Ltd. Phil still looks after the day to day scheduling of work and oversees much of the processing where he maintains a very "hands on" approach.

Steve Payne, Principal Engineer
After graduating from the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1984 with a Degree in Pure and Applied Physics, Steve began work at the Marconi Research Centre (now part of BAE SYSTEMS) on r.f and microwave acoustic and acousto-optic devices for optical and electronic signal processing. From 1990, Steve ran the Microwave Acoustics activity at MRC, working on Bragg cells for both defense and civil applications, the latter including both ground based and orbital radio astronomy platforms. In 2000, he joined Leysop to work on the development and marketing of new products, as well as designing and managing the new website. He is also involved in the design of the products from the associated company Advanced Optical Technology.

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