ALPHALAS

ALPHALAS offers balanced photodetectors with bandwidths from DC up to 10 GHz and wavelength ranges from 170 nm to 2600 nm. Both free-space and fiber-coupled models are available.

Birefringent tuners (Lyot filters) for wavelength tuning of lasers are made of crystal quartz or MgF₂. Their optical axis can be parallel to the surface plane or at customized angle. Standard thicknesses ranging from 0.5 mm to 10 mm and diameter of 25.4 mm (1 inch) are available from stock. Transmission ranges: 200 nm … 2700 nm for crystal quartz and 150 nm … 6000 nm made of MgF₂. ALPHALAS offers both uncoated and AR-coated birefringent tuners. These can be used at Brewster angle Lyot filter configuration (no Fresnel reflection losses), or in a customer-specific design.

ALPHALAS offers actively and passively Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state lasers emitting blue light at 457 nm and 473 nm wavelengths. Typical parameters are pulse energy 1 … 5 µJ, pulse duration 1 ns, repetition rate 1 … 5 kHz. CW blue diode lasers with wavelengths 405 nm, 450 nm, 488 nm and up to 200 mW output power are also provided. The range of blue lasers is complemented with picosecond pulse blue diode lasers at wavelengths 375, 405 nm, 445, 450 and 488 nm.

ALPHALAS offers diode-pumped mode-locked cavity-dumped picosecond lasers at 1030 nm, 1047 nm, 1053 nm and 1064 nm with optional second, third or fourth harmonic wavelengths. Typical parameters of these lasers are pulse durations < 15 ps and repetition rates from single shot to 10 kHz. For lower average and peak powers, these lasers are a good alternative to regeneratively amplified lasers due to simplicity, reliability and easy operation. On request, customized lasers for higher repetition rates or other wavelengths are available. This range of products includes also cavity-dumped Q-switched lasers that feature constant pulse widths and energies in a wide frequency range.

The composite (or diffusion-bonded) laser crystals consist of two crystals that are fixed together to form a monolithic design. The most popular combination includes Nd³⁺:YAG as the laser medium and Cr⁴⁺:YAG as the passive Q-switch. Most of the composite laser crystals like Nd3+:YAG + Cr4+:YAG, Yb³⁺:YAG + Cr⁴⁺:YAG, Nd³⁺:YAG + V³⁺:YAG, Er³⁺:YAG + YAG, Nd³⁺:YVO₄ + YVO₄ are available from stock or with customer’s specifications with AR, PR or HR coatings.

Based on more than 40 years of experience in lasers, optics, nonlinear optics and electronics, ALPHALAS offers customer-specific design and development services. Successfully finished projects for numerous customers include CW, Q-switched, mode-locked and cavity-dumped lasers, high-voltage, high-speed switches, as well as diode laser and TEC drivers.

ALPHALAS offers advanced diode-pumped solid-state lasers with pulse durations in the nanosecond or picosecond region, as well as CW lasers. Different types of pulsed diode-pumped lasers include:

• actively or passively mode-locked picosecond lasers,
• regeneratively amplified lasers,
• actively and passively Q-switched lasers, and
• mode-locked and cavity-dumped lasers.

Customer-specific repetition rates and pulse energies are available on request. Some models can operate at single longitudinal mode in CW or pulsed mode. Optionally available are also second, third or fourth harmonics for most of the above lasers.

Narrow-band distributed feedback diode lasers with free-space beam or fiber coupling at numerous wavelengths: 1030 nm, 1047 nm, 1053 nm and 1064 nm are available from stock. In order to match the gain maximum of popular amplifying media as seed lasers, temperature tuning and wavelength selection are offered for the above standard laser wavelengths.

ALPHALAS offers laser kits for education and research:

• Diode-pumped solid-state laser kit with five modes of operation: CW @ 1064 nm, frequency-doubling intra-cavity & Q-switched, external frequency-doubling.
  Options: Nanosecond monolithic microchip laser, active Q-switching, third and fourth harmonic generation, acousto-optic or electro-optic modulator.
  Applications: education in theory and practice, research & testing, start-up for DPSS laser development.
• Mode-locked picosecond laser kit with ready aligned diode-pumped passively mode-locked laser cavity is offered at a very low price. Nominal specifications are: 1064 nm wavelength, 300 mW output power, 10 ps pulse duration, 100 MHz rep. rate. This kit uses semiconductor saturable absorber technology.
  Options: Second and third harmonic generation.
  Applications: education in theory & practice, research & testing, start-up for picosecond laser development.

Electro-optic crystals like LiNbO₃, LiTaO₃, DKDP, BBO, KTP and RTP crystals in conjunction with HF drivers are available for phase or amplitude modulation. ALPHALAS has a large stock of Pockels cells and phase modulators for most of the standard laser wavelengths.

ALPHALAS offers etalons made of fused silica for wavelength tuning and single-frequency operation of lasers. Etalons with diameter 8 mm and thicknesses 0.2 mm, 0.9 mm or 1.3 mm, coated with different reflectivities in the near infrared region, are available from stock.

Upgraded to resonant reflectors (stack of very high precision fused quartz flats with spacers and different number of elements), these have very high periodic spectral selectivity and very high damage threshold.

Customer-specific designs are also available.

The Fabry–Pérot interferometers offered by ALPHALAS are high-resolution spectroscopic instruments having applications in spectral analysis of narrowband light sources like gas discharge lamps and lasers. These are especially useful for analyzing the spectral content of pulsed lasers, because they allow for single-shot measurements.

The interferometers consist of two high-precision mirrors with a flatness better than λ/40 over 90% of the aperture, having broadband coatings and spacers of different thickness. The working aperture is either 22 mm or 48 mm, and the reflectivity finesse is > 120. The standard spectral range is 450 nm … 1100 nm, others on request. Combined with our CCD linear array, the interferometers form a versatile spectral analysis system.

Gain-switched diode lasers of the PICOPOWER-LD series from ALPHALAS with pulses < 12 ps and peak power > 2 W at specific wavelengths offer a cost-saving alternative to mode-locked DPSS lasers. Exchangeable laser heads with wavelengths from 375 to 2200 nm offer greatest flexibility. Simultaneous multichannel operation at a number of wavelengths is also available. External TTL trigger and TTL sync output are standard features. Picosecond pulses are generated with repetition rates from single-shot to 100 MHz. Options like fiber coupling, variable amplitude, CW mode, temperature tuning of the wavelength and single-frequency are available on request for most wavelengths. All models generate a single transverse mode laser beam. Applications include fluorescence lifetime measurements, pump-probe experiments, laser seeding, optical tomography, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC).

Ultrafast photodetectors from ALPHALAS are suitable for measuring optical waveforms with rise times starting from 10 ps and spectral coverage for the IR region up to 2600 nm have bandwidths from DC up to 30 GHz. Available configurations include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the highest speed operation, while a high impedance load generates large amplitude signals.

Applications include pulse form and pulse width measurement, laser synchronization, mode beating monitoring and heterodyne measurements. Balanced photodiodes complement the large selection for these models.

ALPHALAS offers infrared-to-visible converters (visualizers) for detecting and visualizing IR radiation from CW and pulsed lasers, IR laser diodes and for revealing the transverse laser mode structure. They feature high sensitivity, high laser damage threshold due to the use of special durable ceramic-like material, coverage of wide spectral ranges 800 … 1150 nm and 1460 … 1650 nm, no need for activation with UV-light and no bleaching. The converters are mounted in black-anodized metal holders. The active surface diameter is 40 mm and has two active sides.

Injection-seeding using a single-frequency low power laser is implemented to seed a single-frequency nanosecond laser source delivering very high energies of 1 mJ with 10 ns pulse width at 10 kHz repetition rate. Output power can reach up to 10 W or even higher on demand. It operates at 1064 nm, but frequency conversion to 532 nm, 355 nm and 266 nm is also available. The distinctive features of these lasers like near-transform-limited spectral width, simultaneously high average and peak powers, diffraction-limited output beam make them an ideal choice for numerous scientific applications including optical metrology, interferometry, high-resolution laser spectroscopy, fiber communications, single pulse holography and many others. The Ethernet connection allows easy access and control of the laser system even in remote, hard-to-reach or hazardous environment.

Electro-optic crystals with suitable drivers are used to modulate the laser beam intensity with frequencies up to 100 MHz. Standard and customer-specific devices are available. The intensity modulators series is complemented with acousto-optic modulators for the standard laser wavelengths.

ALPHALAS offers many standard laser crystals like Nd³⁺:YAG, Yb³⁺:YAG, Nd³⁺:YVO4 and Nd³⁺:GdVO₄ with large stock inventory. Customer-specific dimensions, doping levels as well as HR, PR and AR coatings are also available.

Based on more than 40 years of experience in lasers, optics and electronics, ALPHALAS offers customer-specific design and development services. Successful projects include single-frequency, Q-switched and picosecond lasers.

Based on more than 40 years of experience in lasers, optics and electronics, ALPHALAS offers customer-specific design and development services for lasers, laser-related electronics and optical devices.

A large range of diode laser drivers covering CW and pulsed currents from 100 mA to 300 A are available as standard or as customer-specific products at competitive prices. The diode laser drivers are complemented with TEC drivers of various powers for easy integration into the customer’s laser systems. The product line includes also drivers for picosecond pulse diode lasers with repetition rates up to 100 MHz and laser diode current modulation up to 1 GHz.

Dielectric mirrors for most standard laser wavelengths and their harmonics at angle of incidence 0° or 45° with different dimensions are available from stock. They feature high laser-induced damage threshold. Customer-specific designs can also be implemented.

A large range of diode laser drivers covering CW and pulsed currents from 100 mA to 300 A are available as standard or as customer-specific products at competitive prices. The diode laser drivers are complemented with TEC drivers of various powers for easy integration into the customer’s laser systems.

ALPHALAS offers both analog and digital line scan cameras. The advanced digital high-speed CCD line cameras include a high-sensitivity linear CCD array with 3648 pixels and spectral range: 170 nm … 1100 nm. Features:

• plug & play with USB 2.0 connection, full software control including LabVIEW as well as C++ drivers and examples
• all major operating systems supported
• free standalone acquisition & viewer software for Windows
• high frame rates up to 269.5 fps
• data storage: onboard or direct data streaming for unlimited capturing of subsequent frames

The analog linear CCD arrays offer a low-cost solution for line scan camera applications. These analog cameras can be easily integrated into spectrographs, autocorrelators and other devices. Number of pixels: 2048. Spectral range: 250 nm … 1100 nm. Scanning frequency: 0.25 MHz … 2 MHz. Internal and external triggering.

Lyot (birefringent) filters made of crystal quartz for wavelength tuning of lasers or use as spectral selection devices with standard thicknesses ranging from 0.5 mm to 10 mm and diameter 25.4 mm (1 inch) are available from stock. The transmission range for quartz plates is 200 nm … 2700 nm, and optionally made of MgF₂ Lyot filters cover the spectral range 150 nm … 6000 nm. Both uncoated or optionally AR-coated can be provided. Use at Brewster angle avoids Fresnel reflection losses. Customer-specific designs are available on request.

Passively Q-switched microchip lasers from ALPHALAS are based on Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Yb:YAG and other active media combined with Cr⁴⁺:YAG Q-switch. Their monolithic laser cavity is the basis for extreme durability and reliability. Pulse widths range from 500 ps to several nanoseconds. The lasers have high peak powers at the fundamental wavelengths 914, 946, 1030, 1047, 1053, 1064, 1320 or 1342 nm and their harmonics. Models with repetition rates greater than 100 kHz, average power up to 1 W, pulse energies up to 1.5 mJ and > 3 MW peak power directly from an oscillator can be amplified for further power/energy boosting in a MOPA setup. TEM₀₀ beam profile and extremely compact design round up the laser specifications. Applications include material processing, nonlinear optics, efficient Raman Stokes, super continuum generation and micromachining. Customer-specific parameters are also available.

Electro-optic phase or intensity modulators including a driver can be used at frequencies up to 100 MHz for actively mode-locking lasers at various wavelengths. These are manufactured on customer’s demand.

Proprietary electro-optic deflectors (EOD) are also offered as efficient active mode-locking devices.

ALPHALAS employs various techniques to mode-lock lasers for the generation of picosecond pulses at 1064 nm and the harmonics at 532 nm, 355 nm and 266 nm. The passive techniques include the patented nonlinear mirror (Stankov’s mirror), as well as semiconductor absorber mirror or Kerr lens mode locking. In addition, active mode locking is used in combination with the passive mode locking for highest reliability and stability. The mode-locked lasers are included in the PICOPOWER-series lasers, together with gain-switched and regeneratively amplified lasers.

ALPHALAS offers actively and passively Q-switched DPSS lasers (IR, VIS & UV) with pulse widths < 1 ns, which are suitable for applications requiring high peak power and precise synchronization. Both types of lasers feature TEM₀₀ beam profile and compact design.

Microchip passively Q-switched lasers are mechanically extremely stable with very high pulse-to-pulse stability, pulse energies up to 1.5 mJ and > 2 MW peak power with pulse duration down to 500 ps.

The actively Q-switched lasers feature a timing jitter < 500 ps, optionally down to 300 ps. Repetition rates from single shot up to 100 kHz and average power up to 5 W are available.

Higher energy and power is possible using MOPA arrangement.

Applications: micromachining, marking & cutting (e.g. diamonds), nonlinear optics, supercontinuum generation, time-resolved fluorescence measurements, pollution monitoring, LIBS, ignition of explosives & combustion engines.

Lasers with intracavity spectral selecting components which generate narrow linewidth laser radiation are offered by ALPHALAS. Special configurations deliver a single longitudinal mode (single frequency) at the standard laser wavelengths like 1030 nm, 1053 nm, 1064 nm as well as customer-specific wavelengths. In addition, nonplanar ring oscillators (NPRO) generate single-frequency laser radiation at 1064 nm with powers up to 100 mW that can be boosted up to 10 W in a MOPA configuration.

Injection-seeded high-power Q-switched lasers of the series PULSELAS-A-SF deliver single-frequency, 10 ns long pulses with up to 10 W average power at 10 kHz repetition rate.

Most of the standard nonlinear crystals like BBO, LBO, BiBO or KTP for frequency doubling, tripling and quadrupling of the fundamental laser radiation are available from stock. Customer-specific dimensions and AR coatings are also offered at competitive prices.

Nd:YAG monolithic crystals designed as nonplanar ring oscillator with unidirectional travelling wave for generation of single-frequency laser radiation are available from stock. Unidirectional operation is achieved by means of an external magnetic field. These lasers are offered as components, but can also be delivered as complete lasers with a driver.

Phase and amplitude electro-optical as well as acousto-optical modulators in a standard and customer-specific configuration, including the drivers are available on order from ALPHALAS. Standard wavelengths are 1030 nm and 1064 nm, but customized wavelengths can also be supplied.

Periodically poled nonlinear crystals PPKT and PPLN for specific wavelengths in the infrared for frequency doubling are available from stock. The lower wavelength limit of our PPKTP for frequency doubling is 976 nm.

Using KTP, RTP and LiNbO₃ crystals, ALPHALAS offers phase modulators for various applications like active mode locking, side-frequency generation and laser resonator cavity control. In addition to the standard products designed for 1064 nm, other customer-specific wavelengths can be offered as well.

Ultrafast photodetectors from ALPHALAS for measurement of optical waveforms with rise times starting from 10 ps and total spectral coverage from 170 to 2600 nm (VUV to IR) have bandwidths from DC up to 30 GHz. Configurations include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. The UV-extended versions of the Si photodiodes are the only commercial products that cover the spectral range from 170 to 1100 nm with a rise time < 50 ps. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the highest speed operation, while a high impedance load generates large amplitude signals. Applications include pulse form and duration measurement, mode beating monitoring and heterodyne measurements. Balanced photodiodes complement the large selection of more than 70 unique models.

Ultrafast photodetectors from ALPHALAS for measurement of optical waveforms with rise times starting from 10 ps and total spectral coverage from 170 to 2600 nm (VUV to IR) have bandwidths from DC up to 30 GHz. Configurations include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. The UV-extended versions of the Si photodiodes are the only commercial products that cover the spectral range from 170 to 1100 nm with a rise time < 50 ps. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the highest speed operation, while a high impedance load generates large amplitude signals. Applications include pulse form and duration measurement, mode beating monitoring and heterodyne measurements. Balanced photodiodes complement the large selection of more than 70 unique models.

Picosecond diode lasers from ALPHALAS with pulses < 12 ps and peak power > 2 W at specific wavelengths offer a cost-effective alternative to the mode-locked DPSS lasers. Exchangeable laser heads with wavelengths from 375 to 1550 nm offer great flexibility. Simultaneous multichannel operation at numerous wavelengths is also available. External TTL trigger capability and synchronized TTL output are standard features. Picosecond pulses are generated with repetition rates from single shot to 100 MHz with a frequency step of 1 Hz. Options like fiber coupling, variable amplitude, CW mode, temperature tuning of the wavelength and single-frequency are available on request for most wavelengths. All models feature single transverse mode laser beam. Applications include fluorescence lifetime measurements, pump–probe experiments, laser seeding, time-correlated single photon counting and more.

The ALPHALAS product line of PICOPOWER series ultrafast lasers implements advanced methods for generating picosecond pulses, including active, passive or combined mode-locking. ALPHALAS is the only manufacturer that uses the patented and most advanced “Nonlinear Mirror” or “Stankov Mirror” mode-locking method based on second harmonic generation with practically unlimited power scaling.

The product line includes cavity-dumped mode-locked lasers, regeneratively amplified picosecond pulses with unsurpassed low jitter < 3.5 ps for pulses “on demand” and MW peak power. Optional harmonic wavelengths are also available.

The PICOPOWER-LD series of the proprietary picosecond diode lasers covers the range 375 nm to 2300 nm with picosecond pulses as short as 12 ps and high peak power more than 2 W for specific wavelengths. Numerous applications cover optical parametric generator pumping, nonlinear optics, spectroscopy time-resolved spectroscopy, remote sensing and material processing.

Very fast rise time p–i–n photodiodes for measurement of optical waveforms with rise times starting from 10 ps and spectral coverage from 170 to 2600 nm (VUV to IR) have bandwidths from DC up to 30 GHz. Configurations include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. The UV-extended versions of the Si photodiodes are the only commercial products that cover the spectral range from 170 to 1100 nm with a rise time < 50 ps. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the highest speed operation and a high impedance load generates large amplitude signals. Applications include pulse form and duration measurement, laser synchronization, mode beating monitoring and heterodyne measurements. Balanced photodiodes complement the large selection of models.

Using a variety of techniques for generating high-voltage pulses with nanosecond and subnanosecond rise/fall times, ALPHALAS provides advanced Pockels cell drivers, pulse pickers, nanosecond and subnanosecond high-voltage generators. The applications include but are not limited to: active Q-switching, cavity dumping, amplitude and phase modulation, pulse slicing, time-of-flight measurements and others. The HVS series high-voltage switches can operate at up-to 10 kV and at frequencies up to the 100-kHz range. Customer-specific devices for higher voltages or special applications can also be provided. Single-switch and push-pull configurations are available as standard devices or customized designs. Complete setups of high-voltage switches with Pockels cells and high-voltage power supplies can be delivered either from stock or with short lead times.

Pockels cells with BBO, DKDP, RTP and KTP electro-optic crystals are available from stock or can be customized according to the customer’s specifications. Apertures starting from 2×2 mm² and up to 15×15 mm² are offered with standard AR-coatings at 1030 nm, 1047 nm, 1053 nm, 1064 nm and 1320 nm. A variety of nanosecond high-voltage drivers are also provided to complement the customer’s application.

Various polarization controlling components like standard and tunable waveplates, polarization rotators, polarizers, birefringent crystals are available from stock. Variable phase retardation is offered by using an electro-optic crystal and a suitable driver.

Most types for crystal polarizers like Glan-Taylor, Rochon, crystal wedge etc. covering the spectral range from 170 nm to 6 µm are available from stock. Thin-film polarizers used at Brewster or 45° angle of incidence feature high damage threshold and can be used for demanding applications. ALPHALAS also offers customer-specific polarizers.

Ultrafast photodetectors from ALPHALAS in combination with high-speed oscilloscopes are the best alternative for measurement of optical waveforms with spectral coverage from 170 to 2600 nm (VUV to IR). For example, photodetectors with rise time 10 ps and bandwidth 30 GHz in combination with 50 GHz sampling oscilloscope can be successfully used to measure optical pulse widths down to 10 ps using deconvolution. Configurations of the photodetectors include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. The UV-extended versions of the Si photodiodes are the only commercial products that cover the spectral range from 170 to 1100 nm with a rise time < 50 ps. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the specified highest speed operation.

Ultrafast photodetectors from ALPHALAS in combination with high-speed oscilloscopes are the best alternative for measurement of optical waveforms with spectral coverage from 170 to 2600 nm (VUV to IR) and picosecond pulse duration. For example, photodetectors with rise time 10 ps and bandwidth 30 GHz, combined with a 50-GHz sampling oscilloscope, can be used to measure optical pulse widths down to 10 ps using deconvolution.

Configurations of the photodetectors include free-space, fiber receptacle or SM-fiber-pigtailed options and have compact metal housings for noise immunity. The UV-extended versions of the Si photodiodes are the only commercial products that cover the spectral range from 170 to 1100 nm with a rise time < 50 ps. For maximum flexibility, most models are not internally terminated. A 50 Ohm external termination supports the specified highest speed operation.

Based on proprietary technology, ALPHALAS offers most advanced pulse pickers for selecting single pulses from a train of picosecond or femtosecond optical trains. Large amplitudes of > 10 kV, pulse widths FWHM of 7 … 10 ns and repetition rates up to 10 kHz in combination with a specially designed short-crystal Pockels cell are best suited for selecting individual pulses from various mode-locked lasers. Low jitter of < 40 ps and short delay of typically 30 ns guarantee a precise synchronization for perfect pulse selection.

ALPHALAS manufactures pulsed lasers with picosecond and nanosecond pulse durations that are targeted at material processing, micromachining, nonlinear optics, scientific research and various other applications which require high peak power or time resolved measurements. Advanced mode-locking and Q-switching techniques provide a huge variety of parameters for the laser pulses. Regeneratively amplified lasers with extremely high peak power in the megawatt range, picosecond pulse durations and up to mJ pulse energy are offered with various wavelengths, e.g. 914, 946, 1030, 1047, 1053, 1064, 1320 or 1342 nm and their second, third and fourth harmonics.

Educational laser kits with various modes of operation offer nanosecond or picosecond pulse durations.

Customer-specific designs for pulses larger than 100 ns or variable pulse durations are also available.

ALPHALAS offers a combination of high-speed, high voltage Pockels cell drivers with a Pockels cell for active Q-switching, designed for all standard laser wavelengths. Rise times below 1 ns and amplitudes > 10 kV cover even the most demanding applications. Repetition rate can be as high as 100 kHz.

The acousto-optic Q-switches from ALPHALAS have the advantage to operate in the MHz repetition rate range where the electro-optical Q-switches can operate only at the cost of considerable technical efforts and complex water-cooled design.

The passive Q-switch alternative has the advantage of simplicity, durability and low cost when compared with the active Q-switching alternative. Cr⁴⁺:YAG, V³⁺:YAG and Co-spinel (Co²⁺:MgAl₂O₄) cover the spectral range from 900 nm to 1600 nm. Most Q-switching crystals are available from stock.

ALPHALAS offers actively and passively Q-switched DPSS lasers (IR, VIS & UV) with pulse durations < 1 ns, suitable for applications requiring high peak power and precise synchronization. Both types of lasers feature TEM₀₀ beam profile and compact design.

Passively Q-switched microchip lasers are mechanically extremely stable with very high pulse-to-pulse stability, pulse energies up to 1.5 mJ and > 2 MW peak power and pulse duration down to 500 ps.

The actively Q-switched lasers feature jitter < 500 ps with an option down to 200 ps. Repetition rates from single shot up to 100 kHz and average power up to 5 W are available.

Higher energies and powers can be reached using MOPA configurations.

Applications: micromachining, marking & cutting (e.g. diamonds), nonlinear optics, supercontinuum generation, time-resolved fluorescence measurements, DNA-analysis, pollution monitoring, LIBS, ignition of combustion engines.

Regeneratively amplified picosecond lasers deliver high-energy pulses with durations < 30 ps and > 2 MW peak power at 1064 nm with variable repetition rates from single shot to 10 kHz. They feature a unique synchronization capability with unsurpassed 3.5 ps timing jitter for pulses on demand. Optional wavelengths at 532 nm, 355 nm and 266 nm are available collinearly or as multiple output beams. The power consumption is < 30 W. The air-cooling and compact design attribute to the competitive advantages. Numerous applications include micromachining of metal and non-metal materials, semiconductor wafer inspection, carving, nonlinear optics and ultrafast spectroscopy.

ALPHALAS offers Cr⁴⁺:YAG, V³⁺:YAG and Co-spinel (Co²⁺:MgAl₂O₄) saturable absorber crystals for passive Q-switching of lasers with wavelengths in the range of 900 … 1100 nm and 1200 … 1600 nm. Different apertures and thicknesses as well as AR-coatings are available from stock and upon request. A special product group is our Brewster-cut Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystals for very high peak power applications and serving as a polarizer inside the laser cavity.

Scientific lasers are offered for many research areas and represent one of the main product categories of ALPHALAS. In addition, solutions for customer-specific designs with individual non-standard features and parameters are offered.

Single-frequency microchip, NPRO and DFB diode CW lasers are available for seeding bulk amplifier chains or fiber amplifiers for generating high power laser radiation at 1030, 1047, 1053, 1064 and 1342 nm wavelengths. Another application is seeding of high-power single-frequency pulsed Q-switched lasers for holographic and interferometric applications.

Picosecond pulse diode lasers from ALPHALAS can be applied for seeding of fiber and regenerative amplifiers.

ALPHALAS offers CW or pulsed single-frequency lasers (single longitudinal mode) with TEM₀₀ beam profile at most of the standard laser wavelengths. Various proprietary and standard technologies including monolithic non-planar ring oscillators (NPRO), DFB and unidirectional ring laser designs are used to achieve stable single-frequency operation with a very low intensity noise. The output power in CW mode ranges from several tens of mW to > 10 W at 1030 nm and 1064 nm. The single-frequency Q-switched lasers offer the unique combination of very narrow spectrum (transform-limited pulses) with very low amplitude noise due to the absence of mode beating.

Applications include high-resolution spectroscopy, interferometry, holography, optical metrology, meteorology, efficient Brillouin- and Raman-shifted generation, Raman spectroscopy and optical trapping, to mention just a few of them.

The ALPHALAS product line of PICOPOWER series ultrafast lasers implements advanced methods for generating picosecond pulses, including active, passive or combined mode-locking. ALPHALAS is the only manufacturer that uses the patented and most advanced “Nonlinear Mirror” or “Stankov Mirror” mode-locking method based on second harmonic generation with practically unlimited power scaling.

The product line includes cavity-dumped mode-locked lasers, regeneratively amplified picosecond pulses with unsurpassed low jitter < 3.5 ps for pulses “on demand” and MW peak power. Optional harmonic wavelengths are also available.

The PICOPOWER-LD series of the proprietary picosecond diode lasers covers the range 375 nm to 2300 nm with picosecond pulses as short as 12 ps and high peak power more than 2 W for specific wavelengths. Numerous applications cover optical parametric generator pumping, nonlinear optics, spectroscopy time-resolved spectroscopy, remote sensing and material processing.

Most of the pulsed lasers offered by ALPHALAS are optionally available with harmonics in the UV range:

• third harmonic (315, 343, 349, 351, 355 nm)
• fourth harmonic (236, 257, 262, 263, 266 nm)

with pulse durations from picoseconds (PICOPOWER series) to sub-nanoseconds and nanosecond (PULSELAS-A/P series). While the passively Q-switched sub-nanosecond microchip UV lasers are the best alternative for low-cost and maintenance-free operation, the harmonically tripled and quadrupled regeneratively amplified picosecond lasers offer very high peak powers for material processing and nonlinear optical applications.

The unique properties of Nd³⁺-doped vanadate laser crystals (GdVO₄ and YVO₄) provide very high gain, highly polarized laser emission and thermally birefringence-free laser media. ALPHALAS intensively uses these laser crystals for the production of PICOPOWER, PULSELAS and MONOPOWER diode-pumped lasers as standard or customer-specific components.

Efficient tuning of the emission wavelength of various wideband laser crystals like Ti:sapphire, Yb:YAG, Yb:KGW as well as dye lasers and optical parametric generators is achieved by means of wavelength tuning devices offered by ALPHALAS. These include reflection and transmission diffraction gratings, intracavity etalons, dispersive prisms and Lyot filters. Especially efficient are Brewster-oriented birefringent plates due to the very low losses and wide tuning ranges. These are available from stock with standard thicknesses from 1 mm to 10 mm, but also as customer-specific designs. The offered birefringent materials are crystal quartz for the spectral range 200 … 2600 nm and MgF₂ for the extremely wide spectral range from 150 nm to 6500 nm. For far-infrared wavelengths and lasers up to 19 µm, ALPHALAS offers unique IR birefringent Lyot filters.

ALPHALAS offers unique tunable and standard phase retardation plates (waveplates). A single UVIR type quarter-wave or half-wave plate can be adjusted to the desired phase retardation for an arbitrary wavelength from 150 nm (vacuum-UV) to 6500 nm (far infrared) and the FIR type waveplate from 1 μm to 21 μm. The bandwidth is up-to 200 nm. They replace hundreds of ordinary phase retardation plates required to cover these ultrawide spectral ranges. The tunable waveplates are by design zero-order and can be used for polarization control of broad-spectrum laser sources like femtosecond lasers and OPOs.

Conventional zero-order, low-order and high-order waveplates for all standard wavelengths as well as customized designs and Fresnel rhombs are also available.

Applications span from polarization measurement and control, polarimetry, laser research, spectroscopy up to nonlinear optics.

Yb³⁺:YAG, Yb³⁺:CaF₂ and other Yb³⁺-doped laser crystals are lately gaining more attention due to some unique lasing properties like very wide emission spectral range from 1020 nm to 1100 nm and the absence of excited-state absorption. Both the wide tuning range and generation of femtosecond laser pulses makes these laser gain media as the first choice for many applications.

Standard pre-configured Yb³⁺:YAG laser crystals with various doping levels from 0.5% to 10% and AR- or HR-coatings are available from stock. Customized designs are also available.