Microscopy Systems Peripherals

Andor Laser Combiner and Multi-port Switch

Andor Laser Combiner and (optional) Multi-Port Switch

UV-pulsed Laser Combiner

See ALC-UVP-350i Pulsed UV Laser for Micro-ablation & Molecular Uncaging.

Visible Laser Combiner

ALC is an established market leader with up to 6 solid state laser lines in a single 19” rack enclosure and integral AOTF for rapid switching and blanking. MPU provides unique flexibility with millisecond switching to one of 3 fiber ports for confocal, FRAPPA or TIRF excitation.

Andor Laser Combiner	Multi-Port Switch
Integral AOTF for laser selection and modulation (cross talk <80dB)	Multiple ports for all laser lines - CSU, FRAPPA and TIRF
Unique Active blanking, synchronized to camera-minimizes specimen exposure	Delivers 100% of laser power to one of three fiber outputs
Compact 4U 19” rack mount enclosure	Fast galvanometer to switch outputs in approximately 1 ms, with external TTL control
Quiet, cool, low power consumption	Good stability, typically ~ 0.5% over a 8 hour period (includes SS laser long term intensity fluctuations)
Long life solid state lasers with excellent stability (typical +/- 0.4% pk to pk)	Switching between CSU imaging and FRAPPA takes <5 ms
ALC allows Gas laser integration e.g. Ar ion or mixed gas
Up to 5 solid state lasers
Wavelengths covering the visible spectrum

Andor Laser Combiner Technology – ALC-500 extra options

Andor first introduced ALC solid state laser combiner technology in 2005, just as solid state lasers were becoming established as viable alternatives to gas lasers. Our goal was to introduce a product with small footprint (physical, electrical and environmental), modular design for flexibility and best-in-class performance. The ALC-400 series was the result providing a highly robust modular framework to integrate up to 4 solid state laser modules, an integrated acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), delivering visible laser light with high efficiency (60-80%) through single mode optical fiber(s) and has such a rugged opto-mechanical design that once installed rarely if ever requires re-alignment. The entire unit fits into a standard laboratory 19” rack.

Building on this success we now announce the ALC-500 series combining up to 5 solid state laser lines and maintaining its class-leading performance in terms of footprint, performance and stability.

The fully loaded combiner, consumes only a few hundred watts, operates in a standard laboratory environment and covers the visible spectrum from 405 to 640 nm. This makes it an ideal source for applications such as confocal and TIRF microscopy.

The optional Multi-port switch, shown above, allows the combined laser beam to be switched at high speed to the selected output – switching time < 10ms. This unique feature enables the configuration of real multi-modal microscopy including FRAP and PA, TIRFM and confocal from one set of lasers. Read more about these Microscopy techniques.

Solid and Gas laser lines

Solid state laser lines are available in the following wavelengths:

405, 445, 488, 491, 515, 532, 561, 594 and 640 nm.

Where you have an existing gas laser we can usually integrate with Argon ion and Krypton Argon lasers. Please contact us for special requirements.

Power levels of the SS laser modules vary in the range 25-100 mW, which covers even the most power hungry imaging and activation requirements. Not all wavelengths are available at all powers.