Wavelength Special: 1 µm pulsed lasers

ǀ  TOPTICA Tuesday

Pulsed lasers with emission wavelengths around 1 µm enable a variety of applications. Due to their short pulse durations that can be as short as hundred femtoseconds only, these lasers can reach very high peak intensities. This induces nonlinear effects and opens new paths in engineering and research.

TOPTICA offers several fiber laser systems that fulfill these requirements. Since these lasers are all fiber-based they have several advantages compared to other laser types like titanium-sapphire (Ti:sapph), Nd:YAG or Nd:YLF sources. TOPTICA’s fiber lasers operate alignment-free at the simple push of a button and they don’t require water cooling. Instead of taking care of the laser, fiber laser users can concentrate on their own processes:

  • In biophotonics, multiphoton microscopy relies on ultrashort laser pulses. For example at laser wavelengths of around 1 µm, SHG imaging by exciting Red Fluorescent Proteins (RFP) is possible. TOPTICA’s FemtoFiber ultra 1050 is an ideal source for this application since it delivers powerful and reliable pulses with below-150 fs at this wavelength.
  • Pump-probe spectroscopy like CARS requires multiple synchronized pulses. At around 1 µm TOPTICA’s FemtoFiber pro TNIR serves as tunable CARS laser source in combination with a FemtoFiber pro NIR.
  • For attosecond studies, i.e. experiments on ultrafast timescales, high-power femtosecond lasers are necessary for high-harmonic or supercontinuum generation, respectively. TOPTICA’s FemtoFiber smart series offers different models that are excellent for seeding of high-power amplifiers (e.g. Yb:YAG) and reach the required power levels.
  • In material processing, extremely high power levels are necessary. Also here, TOPTICA’s FemtoFiber smart lasers are perfect and reliable tools for seeding the amplifier chains of such high-power laser systems.