Table 2.
Laser Material | Company; Model | Wavelength/nm | Pulse Length | Repetition Rate | Power |
Ti:Sapphire | Coherent; Mira | 700–980 | <200 fs | 76 MHz | 0.7 W 1.3 W |
Spectra Physics; Tsunami | 700–1000 | <100 fs (or 2ps as option) | 80 MHz | 0.8 W 1.4 W | |
Coherent; Chameleon – XR | 705–980 | <140 fs | 90 MHz | 1.7 W | |
Spectra Physics; Mai Tai | 710–990 | 120 fs | 80 MHz | 1.5 W | |
Time Bandwidth; Pallas | 780–860 | <100 fs | 75 MHz | 500 mW | |
Time Bandwidth; Tiger | 780–860 | <100 fs | 100 MHz | 400 mW | |
Femtosource | 750–850 | <12 fs | 75 MHz | 400 mW 600 mW | |
Nd:YLF | MicroLase/Coherent Scotland; BioLite | 1047 | 200 fs | 120 MHz | 500 mW |
Nd:Glass | Time Bandwidth; GLX200 | 1058 | <250 fs | 100 MHz | >400 mW |
Ytterbium | Amplitude Systems | 1030 | <200 fs | 50 MHz | 1 W |
Cr:LiSAF | Highqlasers | 850 snm | 100 fs | 50 MHz | >1--mW |
OPO | Coherent and Spectra Physics | 350–1200 | 100 fs | ~200 mW |
Commercial laser sources available for MPE microscopy and spectroscopy are reported along with main parameters. The pulse length given is the average pulse length through over the full tuning range of the system. Power is the average power at the peak of the tuning curve, typically 800 nm, or at the operating wavelength. Both Coherent Mira and Spectra Physics Tsunami systems can be pumped with a 5,8 or 10 W green laser source. When two powers are given these are for 5 W and 10 W pumped. Higher pump power may be needed for full tuning range. Between 925 and 960 nm Ti:Sapphire lasers need to be purged to ensure that no water vapour is present within the laser cavity. Computer tunable systems are sealed to prevent this complication and are endowed of a pointing stability system that reduces the need of new alignment following tuning across a wide range of wavelengths. The authors acknowledge John Girkin for providing more complete data.