Jobin Yvon Celebrates Its Bicentennial Anniversary

|   Press Release

Jobin Yvon celebrates in 2019 the 200th anniversary of its foundation. Now in the form of HORIBA FRANCE SAS, this legendary optics firm has pioneered the realm of “spectroscopy,” since its establishment in 1819 by constantly pushing the frontiers of optical science through numerous technological innovations.

A member of the HORIBA Group since 1997, this French firm is now responsible for the development of gratings*1 (one of the core parts of spectrometers and also their flagship product) and a variety of spectrometers, including Raman spectroscopic analyzers*2, as well as the distribution of and servicing for other scientific instruments and systems. Their addition to the HORIBA Group has expanded the range of its key technologies in a wider range of wavelengths, which in turn has enabled the Group to offer a broader array of analysis solutions.
As part of a commemoration, Jobin Yvon Bicentennial Anniversary Celebration will be held in France on November 22, 2019.
Going forward, HORIBA Group will remain committed to contributing to the progress of science and technology through the creation of new value by promoting the integration of its accumulated technologies and diverse line of products.
*1 Optical components that disperses light according to its wavelength by interference of light
*2 An instrument that detects Raman spectra by passing Raman-scattered light, which is generated by illuminating a sample with a laser beam whose wavelength is different from that of incident light, through the spectrometer. A spectrometer using a diffraction grating is used when converting Raman-scattered light into spectra.


[About Jobin Yvon]
The origin of Jobin Yvon dates back to 1819, when Jean-Baptiste Soleil, an optical engineer, established Maison Soleil, an optical equipment manufacturer. They manufactured the world’s first Fresnel lens for use at Cordouan Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in France, thus establishing the technology to send bright light across long distances. Now, they supply optical analyzers such as Raman spectroscopic analyzers and X-ray fluorescence analyzers to their customers in the cutting-edge scientific and technological fields. They also enjoy high penetration in specialized fields, which include research and development institutions and universities in various countries. Since joining the HORIBA Group in 1997, they have maintained their brand to support the Group as a center for developing technologies for spectroscopic analyzers. The combination of measurement equipment and analyzers using “infrared rays” and “X-rays”—HORIBA’s core technologies since its foundation—and diffraction gratings developed with Jobin Yvon’s core technologies has made it possible to develop measurement equipment and analyzers for a wider wavelength detection range (from infrared rays and visible light to X-rays), thus helping the Group to consolidate its position as a leading supplier of optical equipment.

[Applications of Jobin Yvon’s technologies]
Gratings for the Comet-Chasing Rosetta Mission
Jobin Yvon’s diffraction grating was used in the ALICE ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, one of the eleven state-of-the-art instruments comprising the Rosetta orbiter, which the European Space Agency (ESA) launched to obtain data for revealing the origin of the Solar System. From 2014 to 2016, their grating was instrumental in measuring abundances and the atomic weight of noble gases and dust, respectively, that were discharged from the cometary nuclei.

Contributions to high-intensity laser technology
Jobin Yvon’s technologies are helping to advance research for increasing laser intensity. In 2018, Professor Gérard Albert Mourou received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research using a Jobin Yvon product. Professor Mourou’s technology is being applied to ophthalmic and other medical treatments and radioactive waste disposal.

[James Thépot, President, HORIBA FRANCE SAS]
“Allow me to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our stakeholders for making it possible for Yobin Yvon to mark the 200th anniversary of its foundation. The technologies derived from this time-honored brand have been at the core of the HORIBA Group and have assisted R&D efforts in cutting-edge areas, including the life sciences, energy, and new material development. Going forward, Jobin Yvon will make continued efforts to remain as HORIBA Group’s core brand that contributes to the society it serves through its products.”

The 200th anniversary logo of the foundation of Jobin Yvon
The 200th anniversary logo of the foundation of Jobin Yvon