Coherent has launched the Chameleon Compact OPO-Vis, which includes an optional fully integrated second harmonic (SHG) accessory providing automated frequency doubling of the OPO and the Chameleon laser output. When utilised in conjunction with the company's Chameleon Ultra tuneable one-box laser, users can access an automated tuning range of 340-1600nm, with simple touchscreen controls and no manual intervention. This OPO provides hundreds of milliwatts of output power over most of its tuning range, which can be expanded to also cover the mid IR region between 1750nm and 4000nm.
Chameleon one-box Ti:S lasers have a fundamental tuning range of 680-1080nm. This tuning range can be further extended towards shorter wavelengths with the addition of frequency doubling and tripling options as well as towards longer wavelengths with an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The latest SHG option in the Chameleon OPO integrates the frequency doubling options of both Chameleon and the OPO into a single OPO unit. This gives the user complete flexibility to double both the laser and/or the OPO outputs all under touchscreen control, covering also the traditional Ti:S tuning gap (500-700nm).
Use of the fan-poled OPO crystal technology, enables the Chameleon laser and the Chameleon OPO outputs, or their SHG outputs, to be independently tuneable. This provides two full degrees of freedom in dual–colour experiments.
The Chameleon OPO is intended for applications in multiphoton imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy, terahertz studies, and materials science. Specifically, broad and independent tuning of the laser and OPO outputs enables CARS spectroscopy and imaging with a single laser system as well as fully flexible pump-probe studies in photochemistry and biology.