Edinburgh Biosciences and Delta Optical Thin Film announce the release of a new type of laser attenuator that is based on Delta’s proprietary linear variable filter technology (patent pending).
This radically new and patent pending solution to laser attenuation has some remarkable features and benefits compared to conventional laser attenuators. The Laser Optical Multilayer Attenuator (LOMA) is based on optical thin film coating technology with no absorption and withstands high laser power. The laser beam is transmitted without distortion of beam profile with no extra optics required. Even with short laser pulses down to 70 fs no pulse broadening is observed. The optical coating is designed for a wide range of laser wavelengths and works independent of polarisation.
For safety reasons, the rejected power is directly dumped by reflection within the unit. A linear drive of the wedged optical thin film coating provides continuous control of laser output from 98% to less than 5%. The mounting of the unit includes adjustable input and output apertures. The unit contains compact adjustable mounting and housing and is very simple to operate. For a demonstration visit Delta Optical Thin Film’s booth B1/538 at LASER World of PHOTONICS.
A Linear Variable Filter (LVF) is made from wedged optical thin film coatings, whose spectral properties vary nearly linearly along the long side of the filter. It is possible to adjust the position of the edge wavelength by sliding the filter with respect to the incident light. The Laser Optical Multilayer Attenuator makes use of this property using a customised version of an LVF design.