Coherent has expanded its Cube family of CW visible diode laser modules with three new wavelengths at 488nm (50mW), 685nm (40mW), and 730nm (30mW). The compact Cube laser heads measure 100 x 40 x 40mm, making them ideal for integration into instrumentation used for life sciences, metrology and inspection applications. Additionally, all three new models are available with CDRH safety accessories enabling standalone operation in laboratory settings.
Because they use direct diode technology, Cube lasers offer compelling advantages over other solid state, CW, visible laser technologies, and they deliver an order of magnitude improvement in electrical efficiency (and compactness) over legacy ion lasers. As with other Cube lasers, these new models deliver true circular output, excellent M2 (≤ 1.2), and low beam divergence. This high beam quality often lowers the cost and complexity of beam delivery optics, particularly where beam symmetry and/or fine focusing are important, and also enables the full output power to be used without lossy spatial filtering. Cost of integration is further lowered by the Cube’s fast direct modulation capability (up to 150MHz), which often eliminates the need for an external modulator. System integration is simplified by the ability to control any Cube via both digital and analogue interfaces.
The Cube 488 is a direct replacement for ion lasers and higher cost solid-state lasers in fluorescence-based life science applications. The new 730nm wavelength is intended for use in confocal microscopy and flow cytometry applications where it enables efficient excitation of new, long-wavelength fluorophores. The 685nm and 730nm models are ideal for machine vision applications, where their long wavelength minimises cross-talk with ambient lighting.