Table 1.

Critical components, sub-components, and component specifications that are commonly employed in the microscope assembly of a pulsed laser-based capillary-electrophoresis-based instrument. Note that several substitutions to the components utilized in our system are included.

Component Name	Specifications/Parameters	Additional Sub-Components
Microscope Frame	Inverted configuration, camera port, stage mounts	Objective (magnification, numerical aperture (NA), air/immersion oil, lens curvature), revolving turret, dichroic mirror (reflect pulsed laser, transmit fluorescence), filter sets (pulsed laser & fluorophore dependent)
XY-Stage	Automated and/or manual operation, programmable (RS232 and/or USB connectors), movement speed (experiment dependent; typically, 1–10 mm/s), bi-directional repeatability (experiment dependent; typically, < 20 μm)	Motion controller, encoder strips, sample-tray inserts
Camera	CCD, exposure times (ms-s), ≥ 16-bit processor (higher bit depth = higher dynamic range), pixel array size (larger = better resolution)	Data acquisition/image processing software (Image J, μ-manager), notch filter (must match pulsed laser wavelength)
Pulsed Laser	UV, visible, or IR wavelengths; solid state (e.g., Nd:YAG: 355, 532, 1064 nm), semiconductor diode, gas, excimer. Energy output per pulse (experiment dependent, typically 0.1–20 μJ), pulse widths 100 ps-1 ns.	Laser controller, cooling system (heatsink, water-cooled, air-cooled), polarizer, iris diaphragm, pinhole aperture, precision mirrors, beam expander (Keplerian or Galilean)
Miscellaneous	Optical posts, xyz-micromanipulators, z-stage, optical brackets, optical notch and/or bandpass filters, grounding wires, instrument case (fabricated from an optically opaque material)	Optical table screws, washers, nuts