Two-photon microscopy has become a key fluorescent imaging technique that enables in-vivo, non-invasive 3-dimensional imaging with sub-micron resolution in volume. Challenged by the wider variety of applications particularly in the field of neuroscience, two-photon microscopy has led to the conception of systems using new excitation techniques and innovative lase… Read More
Combat zones can be extremely chaotic. With a massive influx of sensory input, implementing clear communication, rugged tools, and reliable instrumentation is key to a successful mission. One of the most challenging tasks in any aerial combat situation is determining which assets on the ground to target and which ones to avoid. This determination is particularly challenging when enemy assets are camouflaged or hidden amongst civili… Read More
Microchip laser technology is a perfect option for various LIDAR-based applications, as well as LIBS, spectroscopy, micromachining, and more. Microchip lasers are typically compact and lightweight, allowing for easier and more efficient integration in airborne and portable, handheld applications, and the laser characteristics are in line with LIDAR requirements for collecting … Read More
Industrial laser induced breakdown spectroscopy typically involves the elemental analysis of various metals. In our previous application note titled “Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in Biomedical Applications,” we discussed the fundamentals of the technique, emphasizing the use of q-switched diode-pumped solid-state lasers as the excitation source. In this blog post, we are going to explore the possibility of utilizing nanosecond pulsed fiber lasers as the excitation source. We will also discuss the pros and cons of that approach, specifically for the characterization of metals and metal… Read More
Driving a vehicle at night or during foggy conditions can be tricky and dangerous, where poor visibility can cause undue stress or even an accident. These conditions make it more difficult to see upcoming potential obstacles, especially if that obstacle is a deer in a field or a pedestrian in dark clothing at night. However, thanks to newer, more efficient, and cost-effective advancements, we could see more widespread deployment of LIDAR-based automotive detection and warning… Read More
Q-switching is the most effective method for producing high energy pulsed lasers. While there are many different varieties of a q-switch, they all follow the same basic operating principle. Q-switches temporarily increase the cavity losses so that the gain threshold is artificially high preventing the laser from emitting light. This process allows the population inversion inside of the gain medium to grow until it becomes fully sa… Read More
A thin disk laser is a type of diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser technology in which the gain medium is comprised of a thin disk of typically Yb:YAG crystal. The invention of the thin disk laser came in 1991 through collaboration between the German Aerospace Center and a group at the University of … Read More
We have written several articles about various forms of LIDAR and the laser requirements needed to ensure a successful application. In this article, we are going to compile and briefly review some of this previously covered material. Then we will cover some benefits of choosing compact fiber lasers over some of the other options for your LIDAR ap… Read More
In business for over 20 years, with nearly 10,000 units fielded to date, the experts at Bright Solutions provide a world-class level of quality, customer care, and service. Their wealth of knowledge in laser engineering and applications experience has led to the development and continuous improvement of multiple series of high-quality custom DP… Read More
Tunable lasers have proven to be great assets for numerous applications. Various types of laser spectroscopy, and many other scientific applications benefit from the wavelength tunability, narrow linewidths and output power provided by tunable lasers. Tunable OPO lasers provide great benefits for many spectroscopy and other applications, with their small footprint and wide range of wavelength t… Read More
The ALCOR Series of femtosecond lasers can be equipped with the optional XSight, fully-integrated electronics module for 920nm & 1064nm, allowing for easy power adjustments and modulation. By itself, the ALCOR is an excellent laser for Two-Photon Imaging applications, offering fixed output powers of 1W, 2W, 4W, and 5W, but has no power modulation, and can only operate in alignment power mode, or full power mode, with no intermediate power levels. With the addition of the XSight module, users can tailor the output power to achieve the best results from their specific ap… Read More
Combat zones can be extremely chaotic. With a massive influx of sensory input, implementing clear communication, rugged tools, and reliable instrumentation is key to a successful mission. One of the most challenging tasks in any aerial combat situation is determining which assets on the ground to target and which ones to avoid. Because of this challenge, a practice, commonly referred to as “painting the target,” was developed and has been successfully deployed for many years, allowing ground forces to identify and designate targets for successful engagement by aeria… Read More
Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) applications like laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), night vision, range finding, and time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR benefit from the utilization of rugged, low SWaP. These applications often require the associated hardware components to be resistant to harsh environmental conditions in the field. Operating temperature range, shock and vibration, and size, weight, and power constraints are among the critical considerations when choosing the right laser tr… Read More
In business for over 20 years, with nearly 10,000 units fielded, the experts at Bright Solutions have built a history of success and have gained a vast amount of applications experience. In their modern applications lab, ideal for proof-of-concept testing and sample processing, they provide a host of DPSS laser configurations with a range of wavelengths and power levels, have a dedicated staff with years of application experience, and even offer process developmen… Read More
The Q-TUNE tunable DPSS laser from Quantum Light Instruments has everything you need to enhance and simplify your spectroscopy application. A user-friendly web interface, gives you the freedom to control the laser remotely from any computer or smart phone browser without having to download or install software. The advanced, microprocessor-controlled operation allows for automated self-optimization, self-calibration, and hands-free tuning at the click of… Read More
A common problem for HeNe laser customers is the issue of polarization switching, which is the sudden change of the polarization of different modes, especially in shorter tubes, which can be particularly detrimental when operating frequency stabilized HeNe laser tubes. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as ‘mode hopping.’ However, this is not accurate. While somewhat similar to polarization switching, mode hopping involves the laser’s operation on a single resonator mode, which suddenly switches to another mode, causing the optical power to switch over to this… Read More
Spectroscopy is a class of analysis methods meant for chemical species identification and concentration measurement, based on emission spectra detection, if irradiated by an adequate light source. Fluorescence-based spectroscopy is one of the oldest spectroscopic techniques. This technique utilizes electron-photon interactions and relies on the absorption of high-energy photons and the subsequent emission of lower-energy, longer-wavelength fluorescence photons, with the energy difference associated with vibrationa… Read More
The ALCOR laser series from SPARK Lasers just received a nice power boost! This series, offered in a dual 920nm and 1064nm wavelength configuration up to 2W, or a single wavelength configuration with up to 4W at 920nm (highest power 920nm fs laser on the market), now expands it’s offerings to 5W of power at 1064nm! The new ALCOR 1064-5W is the one of a few femtosecond lasers offering such a high average power with a fixed wavelength at 1064 nm, and it has the very same low-SWaP form factor as the rest of the ALC… Read More
Shortly after the invention of the first laser, a relevant application enabled by the availability of coherent light, called time-of-flight, emerged. ToF is the precise measurement of the round-trip time of a laser pulse from the source to the target object and back again, allowing you to determine the distance or the velocity of the target. By collecting the back-reflected (or back-scattered) radiation of a short pulse, initially directed to a remote target, it is possible to determine the exact position of said target, provided that the time interval between the outgoing pulse and the corresponding echo is precisely… Read More
Quantum Light Instruments’ (QLI’s) main product line is the Quantas Family. This family of lasers offers compact, air-cooled, high-energy, low rep rate, DPSS lasers at the fundamental wavelengths of 1064 and 1053nm, as well as the less common 1163, 1177, 1300, 1317, 1551 and 1571nm options. They offer standard harmonic wavelengths, through the 5th harmonic (211 and 213nm), with the addition of an external harmonics module. The Quantas Family was designed for a wide range of applications that require high peak power / high ener… Read More
In actively Q-switched lasers, the user controls the pulsed laser output, so that no laser pulse emission occurs without providing a proper input signal, aka “the trigger”. Due to the trigger signal propagation through the interface electronics, the Q-switch driver chain, and the laser resonator build-up time, a time delay (Td) is present between the externally-supplied trigger signal and the actual laser pulse emitted by the laser source. The Td can show fluctuations if any electronics or optics involved in the pulse generation process have a functional varianc… Read More
For security purposes, ID cards often require some form of unique identifier and tamper-proof security features, designed to mitigate the potential for alteration and counterfeiting. Laser sources play an essential role in this regard, providing a means to create permanent, high-quality, and tamper-proof marks on polymeric cards. Typically, the ID cards are a multi-layer composition of poly-carbonate and PVC, with select pigments added to the inner layers of the card during fa… Read More
A significant and well-recognized difference between lasers and conventional, incoherent light sources, is the ability to concentrate laser emission in short pulses, with durations going down to a few femtoseconds, containing potentially only a few optical cycles. Technically, you can drive an incoherent LED source using current pulses. However, each pulse would have a maximum power (i.e. a peak power) equal to the average power of the same device if a continuous bias were applied. Only laser cavities can concentrate the stored energy within active materials in such a way to achieve peak powers orders of magnitude higher than their ave… Read More
we will highlight another set of lasers offered here at RPMC, which are ideal for higher-order harmonic generation, allowing it to produce wavelengths from the infrared to the ultraviolet; the Sol, Wedge, and Onda from Bright Solutions. All three of these laser sources are robust and compact, making them ideal for integration into OEM systems. In this blog, we will highlight several of the features which make each unit uniquely suited for harmonic c… Read More
Solid-state lasers offer many advantages over other laser sources. One of their most unique benefits is the ability to produce extremely high pulse energy. Solid-state lasers can achieve this through q-switching, which is a process where the resonator losses are periodically increased, therefore interrupting the lasing process. Unlike other laser pulsing methodologies, q-switching is unique in that the pump source remains active while no lasing is oc… Read More
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