Leaders in Optical Measurement Technology for over 45 years
Photon Kinetics (PK) designs and manufactures high-performance testing solutions for the optical fiber and cable manufacturing industry. Established in Beaverton, Oregon, and now trusted by optical fiber and cable manufacturers across the globe, our systems are renowned for setting new benchmarks for quality, reliability, and reducing the cost of measurement.
Our History
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1979
Photon Kinetics is founded
Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR USA) and York Technology (Southampton, UK; Princeton, NJ USA) are founded. Both offer the first commercial testing solutions for the optical fiber manufacturing industry.
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1980
De facto industry standards
The industry leaders establish de facto industry standards: York P10X Preform Analyzers, S14 Fiber Refractive Index Profiler, S18 Chromatic Dispersion System, Photon Kinetics 2200 and 2500 Fiberl Analysis Systems, 2400 Fiber Geometry System, 6500 OTDR.
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1995
The two biggest industry leaders connect
Having led the industry for over a decade, Photon Kinetics and York Technology merge to form the undisputed leader in the optical fiber test industry.
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1999
A new era at GN NetTest Group
A brand-new era begins when PK is acquired by Great Nordic as a part of the GN NetTest group.
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2000
The 8000 Production and Laboratory OTDR sets the industry standard.
It’s adopted industry-wide for high-speed, long-length OTDR testing. Combined with the 1001-MFH MultipleFiber Handler, it facilitates production of high fiber-count cables.
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2003
Photon Kinetics becomes a private company
After the Telecom/DotCom crash, PK re-emerges as a private company, working closely with industry partners to keep optical fiber and cable production viable.
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2010
A new patent for environmental testing
PK introduces a patented technique for Environmental Testing of optical fiber and cable that offers greater improvements in precision and long-term stability.
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2015
A period of re-growth across the industry
With the industry expanding, especially in China, PK revolutionizes the optical fiber testing space with the 2300AG—the first system to combine spectral and geometry measurements on a single test system.
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2016
Another year of innovation, with the Full-Length Station
PK introduces the first Full-Length Station combining OTDR, spectral attenuation, chromatic dispersion, and PMD with high-speed fiber alignment. This change merged five test stations into just two.
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2019
Further developments in multimode bandwidth
PK launched a dedicated solution for OM3/4/5 multimode bandwidth and SMLDMD testing at multiple wavelengths using both diode lasers and Ti-Sapphire lasers.
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2023
Industry first Hollow-core test system
PK develops a solution for spectral attenuation and geometry measurement of hollow-core fibers.
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2024
The launch of more multicore fiber measurements
These included automated alignment and launch control for geometry, spectral, OTDR, chromatic dispersion, and PMD measurements.
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2025
Further development into rare-earth doped preforms
The year 2025 marked a new milestone in the launch of PK’s enhanced preform measurement for rare-earth doped preforms.
Our people are our biggest asset. That’s why we’ve created an environment that’s committed to helping our team thrive.
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Medical, Vision and Dental Insurance
Our comprehensive cover ensures you can access high-quality preventative and emergency care when you need it most. -
Life and Disability Insurance
Our financial protection plan offers you and your family peace of mind and support during challenging times. -
401k Plan
When it comes to saving for retirement, we’ll help you secure your financial future by matching your contributions. -
Paid vacation and sick leave
Take time out from work, whether that be for rest and recovery or to spend time with friends and family.