Coherent Inc. has introduced the world’s first
commercial, all solid-state optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) with
output at 552 nm. These new Sapphire 552 LP lasers offer continuous wave (CW)
output of 50 mW, 75 mW, 100 mW, 150 mW, and 200 mW which makes them
particularly useful for applications in life sciences. They also provide a high
quality, diffraction-limited beam (TEM00, M²<1.1) with excellent pointing
stability (< 5 µrad/°C), high power stability (< 2%) and low noise (< 0.25%
rms from 20 Hz to 2 MHz). Sapphire 552 LP lasers come with a compact laser
head, measuring just 125 mm x 70 mm x 34 mm; this is identical to all other Sapphire
LP lasers, independent of wavelength and power class, simplifying integration
including wavelength addition and substitution for OEMs and end users alike. As
with other Sapphire LP lasers, the new 552 nm models are equipped with USB,
RS-232 and analog interface ports for ease of installation and operation.
Sapphire lasers are based on Coherent’s unique
optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) technology. This is a well-proven
technology with over 25,000 units currently in the field. One of the main
benefits of OPSLs is wavelength scaling: the possibility to build OPSLs at
nearly any visible wavelength. This has created a paradigm shift in visible
laser applications where laser output is matched to key applications instead of
vice versa. And, unlike most other solid-state lasers, OPSLs do not suffer from
thermal lensing, so the output power of any Sapphire LP can be smoothly
adjusted from 10% to 110% of nominal power with no effect on beam quality.
Sapphire 552 LP lasers are intended for life
sciences applications including flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and drug
discovery. Because this wavelength is well-separated from established, popular laser
wavelengths (e.g. 532 nm and 568 nm), it is ideal for instrument builders and
end users looking to increase the number of fluorophores they can
simultaneously detect without crosstalk.
