The Opera ultrafast optical parametric amplifier from Coherent now offers access to the entire wavelength range from the ultraviolet (240 nm) to the mid-infrared (10 microns)
The Opera is an optical parametric amplifier that generates tunable ultrafast output (signal and idler wavelengths) in the near-infrared, when pumped by the output of a high pulse energy amplifier such as the Libra or Legend.
Existing frequency-doubling and quadrupling options provide broadly tunable pulses from the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared region of the spectrum.
The tuning range has now been further expanded on both sides of the spectrum with the new difference frequency generator (DFG) and sum frequency generator (SFG) modules.
The DFG module combines the signal and idler outputs of the Opera to cover the range 2.4microns to 10microns.
The SFG module combines either the signal output or the idler output of the Opera with the residual pump beam from the amplifier in order to cover the range 240nm to 610nm.
Besides providing access to tunable ultraviolet, the SFG provides higher output power in the violet and blue spectral regions than can be achieved with the standard Opera Vis/UV harmonics package.
The two modules attach to the front of the Opera using indexed registration.
No optical alignment is required.
The Opera also offers a high level of operational simplicity.
When used as a turnkey system with the Coherent Libra, the entire system operation - from the seed laser to the DFG or SFG - is controlled by a single computer through a simple user interface.
Applications for the extended wavelength range include vibrational spectroscopy, pump-probe experiments to study molecular dynamics, atmospheric sensing, and photochemistry.
