iChrome FLE

Flexible Multi-Color Laser Combiner

  • Up to 7 laser lines for all major fluorophores from 405 to 785 nm
  • COOLAC automatic alignment, never again waste valuable lab time for manual laser alignment
  • Tailored to your light source requirements with one or two fiber outputs
  • Best image contrast and unsurpassed lifetime due to AOM/AOTF-free all-diode-design
  • Combine two different applications with one laser engine – fiber switch / fiber splitter

TOPTICA's iChrome FLE is a flexible laser engine that combines up to 7 laser lines in up to two polarization-maintaining single-mode fibers. Power levels reach up to 100 mW per laser line. The flexible setup can be customized to meet the special needs of each customer. The standard wavelength range of the FLE is 405 - 785 nm. We will select the appropriate fiber according to your desired wavelengths. If the entire wavelength range is required, we can fully integrate a PC-Fiber (Photonic Crystal Fiber), to cover the entire wavelength range of 405 – 785 nm. Like all iChrome systems, the FLE guarantees a plug & play installation via TOPTICA's proprietary COOLAC automatic alignment technology.

Systems equipped with two laser fibers benefit from TOPTICA’s fiber switching technology, which combines fiber switching and fiber splitting in one option. Power hungry applications can benefit from the full power levels at the corresponding fiber, while applications such as a two light-sheet setup can benefit from an exact power balance between both fibers.

Another option available with the iChrome FLE is a separate fiber for up to two wavelengths. TOPTICA’s optical design allows two lasers to be carried in an additional fiber. These could be special wavelengths designed to run in a separate beam path (e.g. 405 or 785 nm, which are corrected separately within the microscope). Another option is to double an existing wavelength for simultaneous high-power operation (e.g. 405 or 488 nm for a separate FRAP input of a microscope).

The iChrome FLE is designed and optimized for many different microscopy techniques. The modulation behavior has been thoroughly tested and optimized at TOPTICA, to guarantee the best performance for scanning applications. Its power level and wavelength range also make it a perfect choice for many non-scanning applications, such as light-sheet microscopy (also known as SPIM), TIRF, spinning disk, structured illumination, super-resolution microscopy and many others.

COOLAC gives the laser combiner plug-and-play simplicity. Installation is done with the simple click of a button in the user software. Green wavelength laser light (532*, 561 and 594 nm) is generated by TOPTICA´s proprietary FDDL (Frequency Doubled Diode Laser) technology, an all-diode approach for these very important wavelengths. Each laser line, including the FDDL’s, is directly modulated up to a frequency of 1 MHz and TOPTICA's "Complete OFF" mechanism guarantees zero photons in the off state. “Complete OFF” also means, that there is absolutely no crosstalk between the individual wavelengths.

  • Specification

    Wavelength [nm] 405 420 445 460 473 488 505 515 532*
    Max number of wavelengths 7, max. 2x FDDL
    Laser type Diode FDDL
    Center Wavelength Range [nm] ± 4 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5 ± 4 ± 5 ± 5 ± 2
    Fiber Coupled cw Output Power [mW] 50/100 40 50/100 40/100 40/100 40/100 30 30/60 50
    Power Stability (drift over 8h @ room temperature +/- 3 °C) [%] ± 2
    RMS Noise (10 Hz - 10 MHz)  [%] < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 1
    < 1,1
    Ellipticity  [%] < 10
    Polarization linear
    Polarization Ratio (typ.) > 60:1
    Polarization Orientation Tolerance (referred to index key) linear, ± 3° (slow axis aligned to index key)
    Fiber Specification
    Number of Fiber Outputs 1 or 2
    Fiber Output Switching Time  [ms] 350
    Fiber Output Power Ratio variable from 95:5 to 5:95
    Fiber Output Connector FC/AFC (8° angled) as standard, others like FC/PC, FC/APC, FCP8 or SC on request
    Fiber Cable Length (max.) [m] 2
    Fiber Cable Type 3mm Stainless Steel Reinforced
    Fiber Type Single-mode, Polarization Maintaining
    Fiber Numerical Aperture (5%) (typ.) 0,080 0,080 0,078 0,077 0,077 0,076 0,075 0,074 0,073
    Mode-field diameter (typ.) [µm] 3,9 4,1 4,4 4,6 4,9 5,0 5,2 5,4 5,6
    Fiber Type Single-mode, Polarization Maintaining PCF
    Fiber Numerical Aperture (5%) (typ.) 0,063 0,065 0,069 0,072 0,074 0,076 0,077 0,080 0,082
    Mode-field diameter (typ.) [µm] 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5

     

    Wavelength [nm] 561 594 640 647 660 705 730 780  
    Max number of wavelengths 7, max. 2x FDDL
    Laser type FDDL Diode  
    Center Wavelength Range [nm] ± 2 ± 2 +3 / -5 +4 / -2 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5  
    Fiber Coupled cw Output Power [mW] 20/60 15 80 60 50 12 12 60  
    Power Stability (drift over 8h @ room temperature +/- 3 °C) [%] ± 2
    RMS Noise (10 Hz - 10 MHz)  [%] < 1 < 1,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 0,5 < 1  
    < 1,1
    Ellipticity  [%] < 10
    Polarization linear
    Polarization Ratio (typ.) > 60:1
    Polarization Orientation Tolerance (referred to index key) linear, ± 3° (slow axis aligned to index key)
    Fiber Specification
    Number of Fiber Outputs 1 or 2
    Fiber Output Switching Time  [ms] 350
    Fiber Output Power Ratio variable from 95:5 to 5:95
    Fiber Output Connector FC/AFC (8° angled) as standard, others like FC/PC, FC/APC, FCP8 or SC on request
    Fiber Cable Length (max.) [m] 2
    Fiber Cable Type 3mm Stainless Steel Reinforced
    Fiber Type Single-mode, Polarization Maintaining
    Fiber Numerical Aperture (5%) (typ.) 0,071 0,069 0,066 0,066 n/a n/a n/a n/a  
    Mode-field diameter (typ.) [µm] 6,2 6,7 7,5 7,5          
    Fiber Type Single-mode, Polarization Maintaining PCF
    Fiber Numerical Aperture (5%) (typ.) 0,086 0,093 0,100 0,100 0,110 0,110 0,114 0,120  
    Mode-field diameter (typ.) [µm] 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5  

     

    Electronic Specification
    Digital Modulation
    Supported Digital Signal Levels TTL
    Max. Digital Modulation Frequency 1000 kHz
    Rise/Fall Time (10% - 90 %, typ.) < 0,5 µs
    Trigger to light (typ.) < 1,5 µs
    Digital Modulation Extinction Ratio inf.
    Analog Modulation
    Max. Modulation Frequency (depending on modulation depth) 1000 kHz
    Analog Trigger to Light (typ.) < 1,5 µs
    General and Environmental Specification
    Certification CE compliance / RoHS complinace / CDRH
    Laser class 3b or 4 (depending on wavelength configuration)
    Digital Communication Interface RS 232 (≤ 115.200 baud), Ethernet
    DC Input Requirements 12 V DC, < 7 A (11,5A power supply)
    Power Consumption < 80 W
    Operating Ambient Temperature Range 15 .. 35 °C
    Storage Temperature Range -10 .. 60 °C
    Operating Relative Humidity (non condensing) < 90 (at 20°C) %
    Dimensions Laser Head (L x W x H) 488 x 400 x 131 mm³
    Weight 17 kg

    *upon request

  • Additional Information
  • Options

    Standard Features:

    • COOLAC: Constant Optical Output Level by push-button auto-recalibration. This feature ensures full drop-shipment capability and best stability even under heavily changing ambient conditions
    • FINE: Feedback Induced Noise Eraser for laser diode based wavelengths. Immunization to optical feedback, ideal for fiber coupling and reflective surfaces

     Optional Features:

    • FiberOut: Fiber collimator for FC/APC and FC/PC fibers
  • Applications
    • Flow cytometry
    • Confocal microscopy
    • Live-cell imaging
    • TIRF
    • FRAP
    • High throughput screening 
    • Genome analyzers
    • Optogenetics
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