PicoQuant has introduced the picosecond pulsed laser platforms VisIR-765 STED and VisUV to its range. The VisIR-765 STED delivers an optical output power of up to 1.5W at 766nm with a laser pulse width of 500ps. Short pulse width below 70ps can be offered optionally. The VisUV laser can generate light at 266nm, 355nm, and 532nm. Any wavelength can be chosen individually or in combination with one or two other lines.
Average output powers between 2mW and 500mW can be offered, depending on the wavelength and on the amount of beam outputs chosen. Pulse widths of less than 70ps are achieved.
While the VisUV is ideally suited for fluorescence lifetime applications, the VisIR 765 STED has been developed especially as a depletion laser in stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. Its pulse width and excellent circular beam shape allow for optimal sample illumination (reduced photobleaching) and accurate beam shaping.
Both lasers can be operated at internally selectable repetition rates between 31.25kHz and 80MHz or externally triggered at any repetition rate between 1Hz and 80MHz. The lasers feature excellent beam quality with a nearly perfectly circular and Gaussian shaped profile with a typical M² value of 1.02.
Both platforms are based on a Master Oscillator Fiber Amplifier (MOFA) concept with frequency conversion. The master oscillator generates infrared picosecond pulses at either 1,530nm (VisIR-765 “STED”) or at 1,064nm (VisUV) with variable repetition rates using the proven gain-switching techniques from PicoQuant. The seed laser output is then converted using either second, third or fourth harmonic generation.