M Squared SolsTiS User Manual
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M Squared SolsTiS User Manual

Narrow linewidth, tunable cw ti:sapphire laser
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Squared Lasers Ltd
SolsTiS
Narrow Linewidth, Tunable CW Ti:Sapphire Laser
User Manual
v10.0
Tools to Help You Lead, Not Follow™

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Summary of Contents for M Squared SolsTiS

  • Page 1 Squared Lasers Ltd SolsTiS Narrow Linewidth, Tunable CW Ti:Sapphire Laser User Manual v10.0 Tools to Help You Lead, Not Follow™...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    System Overview ................ 2 General Safety Precautions .............vii System Configuration ..............3 Laser Safety ................vii SolsTiS Models & Standard Specifications ......3 System Safety Features ............ix Background – Principles of Operation ........4 Safety Labels – IEC/CE/CDRH Radiation Control Drawings xii Safety Label Translations ............xiv...
  • Page 3 FOR YOUR SOLSTIS SYSTEM ............... 43 OPERATING THE LASER SYSTEM..........24 APPENDIX D: EXTERNAL REFERENCE CAVITY AND Initial Start Up – Activating the SolsTiS System ....24 RESONATOR INPUT CHARACTERISTICS ..........43 Wavelength Tuning & Scanning ..........29 APPENDIX E: OPERATING THE LASER WITHOUT THE EXTERNAL REFERENCE CAVITY ................

  • Page 4: Apreface - Please Read This First

    SolsTiS should have been discussed and agreed to by M Squared Lasers at the time of your SolsTiS purchase. If this was not the case, please do not attempt to install or operate your SolsTiS system before you have contacted M Squared Lasers to confirm suitability of your pump laser.

  • Page 5: Bwarning Symbols

    Danger! Condition or action may present an electrical hazard to the user. Warning! Condition or action may cause equipment damage, safety hazard, or poor performance. Caution! Exercise particular care and/or refer to the manual before proceeding. Note! Text noting special circumstances or tips. SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 6: Creceiving And Unpacking Your Laser System

    Water chiller (High Power Cooling Kit, if applicable) before installation – leave this task to an authorized M Squared Lasers service engineer. Please also be sure to inspect each system Tool –...

  • Page 7: Dimportant Safety Information

    Laser Safety D Important Safety Information General Safety Precautions Danger! When used with a pump laser, the SolsTiS laser system is a Class IV, high power laser whose beam, by definition, is a safety and fire hazard. Take precautions to Caution! Use of controls or adjustments or performance prevent exposure to direct and reflected beams.
  • Page 8 Avoid wearing jewellery or other objects, such as watches, that may reflect or scatter the laser output beam.  Avoid blocking the output beam or its reflection with any part of the body or flammable material. viii SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 9: System Safety Features

    When configured with an IEC/CE/CDRH-certified, compatible pump in Figure 4 and Figure 5. For the location of pump laser safety warning laser per the instructions in this manual, the SolsTiS and its pump laser labels, please refer to the manual that accompanied your pump laser.
  • Page 10 This warns of impending laser emission from the laser system in the event of unauthorized or inadvertent access to the pump laser, and hence from SolsTiS. For safety, there should be a the laser operating area. This prevents unaware personnel from being delay of at least 5s between activating the laser and laser emission.
  • Page 11 M Squared Lasers. It should not be possible to activate the pump laser, and hence SolsTiS, unless the key switch is turned to the On position. In addition, for additional safety, it should not be possible to remove the key in the On position.

  • Page 12: Safety Labels - Iec/Ce/Cdrh Radiation Control Drawings

    IEC/CE/CDRH radiation control drawing showing Figure 4 IEC/CE/CDRH radiation control drawing showing locations of SolsTiS safety labels (see Figure 7 ). locations of SolsTiS safety labels (see Figure 7). Example shown – SolsTiS-SRX with Coherent ‘Verdi’. Example shown – SolsTiS-SRX with Coherent ‘Verdi’.
  • Page 13 Two models shown – exact location of labels, shown in Figure 7, may vary by model. Figure 7 SolsTiS IEC/CE/CDRH safety labels (numbers refer to the locations of labels shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5). xiii SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 14: Safety Label Translations

    M Squared Lasers or an authorized representative to correct the problem. 0.39µW for continuous-wave (CW) operation where output is limited to wavelengths in Table 1 Laser safety label translations.

  • Page 15: Sources Of Additional Safety Information

    Publication 8.1-7) electronic products sold in Europe. Web: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laserhazards/standards.html All of M Squared’s products sold in Europe after July 1, 2006 are fully Laser Safety Equipment and Training RoHS compliant, and a full Declaration of RoHS Compliance is available upon request.

  • Page 16: Weee Directive (2002/96/Ec)

    WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) As needed, M Squared will work with end users and/or distributors, to aid in the correct handling of an M Squared product that has reached the The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) end of its useful life. This may include, as appropriate, return shipment of...

  • Page 17: Ce Declaration Of Conformity

    The CE mark was first applied in September 2009. The product covered by this declaration is: Signed: SolsTiS, narrow linewidth, tunable CW Ti:Sapphire laser. Name: Bill Miller The above mentioned product complies with the essential requirements, Authority: Director of Systems Engineering...
  • Page 18 Personal Computer Energy joule picosecond (10 second) C Temperature degrees Celsius Pump Integration Kit Pressure pascal (SolsTiS) Pump Optics Module Electric Current ampere power supply unit piezo-electric transducer Electric Potential volt Radio frequency  Resistance Single longitudinal (frequency) mode Capacitance...

  • Page 19: Solstis Safety Labels (See Figure 7). Example Shown - Solstis

    .................. xii Figure 16 SolsTiS wavelength control unit - front and rear views..11 Figure 5 IEC/CE/CDRH radiation control drawing showing locations of SolsTiS wavelength control unit – rear connections..11 Figure 17 SolsTiS safety labels (see Figure 7 ).

  • Page 20: Copyright Information

    I Copyright Information Copyright © 2010 M Squared Lasers Ltd. First edition: July 2007. M Squared Lasers Ltd, 1 Kelvin Campus, West of Scotland Science Park, Maryhill Road, Glasgow, G20 0SP, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored...

  • Page 21: Introduction

    1 Introduction Thank you for your purchase of a SolsTiS CW narrow linewidth, widely tunable Ti:Sapphire laser system. We pride ourselves on supplying next- generation, highly reliable products that provide our customers with new, often-unique performance capabilities with which to push application boundaries.

  • Page 22: System Description

    System Overview configuring of SolsTiS for locking to an external, third party SolsTiS is a widely tuneable, CW narrow linewidth laser, designed for use with wavemeter (for use, for example, as an absolute frequency a wide range of pump lasers. The pump laser may be integrated with or reference).

  • Page 23: System Configuration

    -PSX -SRX from the pump to the SolsTiS laser head via a sealed beam path, and includes all riser blocks to match the SolsTiS to the pump beam height, pump beam optics, and a manually adjustable pump beam x, y...

  • Page 24: Background - Principles Of Operation

    Longitudinal cavity modes lasing at ~1µm and intracavity frequency doubled to ~0.5µm is, for example, a highly efficient, ideal pump source for Ti:S. SolsTiS can be pumped by any Frequency commercially available CW “green” DPSS laser (via optional factory configuration for the selected pump source).

  • Page 25: Schematic Illustration Of Solstis Intracavity Layout And Reference Cavity (Solstis Model -Srx)

    Narrow Linewidth Operation – SolsTiS Cavity Design (measured relative to the reference cavity). A first for a laser of this Figure 11 illustrates the layout and key elements of the SolsTiS cavity. type, all adjustments in SolsTiS are hands-free and computer controlled via the included software UI.
  • Page 26 SolsTiS’ output frequency to a reference cavity fringe using a SolsTiS cavity mirror mounted on a fast PZT. (In SolsTiS, a dual stack PZT is used on one cavity mirror, with one PZT devoted to frequency scanning, and the other...

  • Page 27: Illustration Of The Ice-Bloc Control Concept

    Controlling SolsTiS - Instrument Control by Ethernet (ICE) SolsTiS is controlled by M Squared Lasers’ proprietary ICE-BLOC® photonic control platform. Like all ICE-BLOC modules, the controller for SolsTiS incorporates Instrument Control by Ethernet (ICE) functionality, which allows users to communicate with ICE-BLOC modules via any standard direct/ LAN/ WAN/ Internet-based Ethernet connection.

  • Page 28: Controls, Indicators & Connectors

    This section defines the operator controls, indicators and connections of the laser and nominal pump power stipulated on your sales order. SolsTiS laser system. Use of these controls, indicators and connectors during Depending on your designated pump laser, SolsTiS may have been...

  • Page 29: Solstis Laser Head

    (Reference cavity – model SolsTiS-SRX only.) Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 is recommended. Although we endeavour to check operation of the SolsTiS UI with all commonly used Web browsers, some may not be compatible. Please contact M Squared Lasers for more information.

  • Page 30: Pump Optics Module

    (O) [left] and REFERENCE CAVITY PHOTODIODE (R) [right]. Do NOT touch the z-axis screw. Only the x & y axes should be Earth connector – on the side of the SolsTiS laser head, as shown in Figure used to optimise the beam alignment.

  • Page 31: Solstis Wavelength Control Unit

    SolsTiS Wavelength Control Unit the ability to network multiplex multiple ICE-BLOC modules, The SolsTiS control unit is based on M Squared Lasers’ proprietary ICE- providing simple system expansion and highly flexible control BLOC® series of photonic control modules. Like all ICE-BLOC modules, the architectures.

  • Page 32: Solstis Wavelength Control Module - Description Of Rear

    SolsTiS UI. The reference cavity drive input (REF CAV DRIVE), which is for use with model SolsTiS-SRX The cable assembly that attaches to the rear of the SolsTiS ‘ICE-BLOC’ only, can be used to scan the reference cavity, and hence SolsTiS’...

  • Page 33: Laptop And Software User Interface

    Ethernet Ports - accepts standard RJ45 Ethernet cable, to provide two-way Ethernet communication connection between the SolsTiS control unit and a Warning! To ensure compliance with laser safety PC (running the supplied UI, accessed via any standard web browser regulations, the pump laser and its laser-emission software).

  • Page 34: Water Chiller (High Power Pump Lasers Only)

    The navigation icons at the top of the HOME deactivated. If SolsTiS is to be operated under conditions of high page may be used to access other UI pages. SolsTiS is generally set up and humidity, please contact M Squared Lasers or an authorized controlled via the CONTROL and CONFIGURE pages.

  • Page 35: Solstis Ui - System Configuration Page

    SolsTiS UI – system configuration page. SolsTiS UI – clock set page. Figure 20 Figure 22 SolsTiS UI – Ethernet (network) settings page. SolsTiS UI – user accounts setup page. Figure 21 Figure 23 SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 36: Solstis Software Ui - Firmware Update Page

    SolsTiS software UI – saved file management SolsTiS software UI – firmware update page. Figure 26 Figure 24 page. SolsTiS UI – étalon (custom) dither frequency. SolsTiS software UI – APAM accessory setup page. Figure 27 Figure 25 SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 37: Solstis Ui - Laser Control Page

    Figure 28 This is the main page for operating the SolsTiS laser system, and allows the user to perform scans around particular wavelengths of interest. Please refer to Chapter 5 for a more detailed description of the functions of this page and how to use them.

  • Page 38: Installation

    M Squared Lasers for more information. In addition, unless the SolsTiS is being operated with a high power pump laser (>8W CW at 532nm), your SolsTiS requires no supplemental cooling or external cooling water. If your SolsTiS was Note! If your system includes a PC for Ethernet control of the ordered for use with >8W pump power, your SolsTiS should have...

  • Page 39: Preparing For Installation

    (or other suitable flat mounting surface) using standard looser. Not doing so may damage the fibre. Take table bolts. If use of these clamps is required, the SolsTiS laser head particular care not to strain the connected fibre when should only be clamped lightly (initially finger tight) to the mounting moving the laser system.

  • Page 40: Installing The Solstis Wavelength Control Unit

    UI. This UI is stored in the onboard should be used only with your M Squared laser memory of the SolsTiS wavelength control unit, and may be system and supplied UI. Use of the PC for any other...

  • Page 41: Ethernet Control - Installing & Using The Software Ui

    (On top of the IP address there is the possibility of adding a user-friendly device nickname, such as SolsTiS-SRX. This makes it easier for a user to Even if a PC and a network device are to be connected directly identify devices accessible on the network to which he is connected, instead together the network rules discussed still apply.
  • Page 42 Explorer (the default browser), open Favourites and click on the SolsTiS Wavelength Control Unit ICE-BLOC module name of the ICE-BLOC. Within a few seconds the SolsTiS ICE- is printed on the serial number label located on the BLOC welcome page will appear. (Alternatively, open Internet back of the module.

  • Page 43: Initial Internal Optical Alignment

    SolsTiS laser system due to the use of M Squared Lasers’ proprietary InvarianT™ alignment-free opto-mechanical mounts used throughout. The SolsTiS laser head is a sealed design that must never be opened. (Opening the laser head may expose the user to safety hazards, result in damage, and will void your warranty.) When the installation procedure has been completed...

  • Page 44: Operating The Laser System

    3. Make sure the SolsTiS baseplate is free of burrs, deep scratches and dirt to ensure good thermal contact with the Danger! The SolsTiS + pump laser system is a Class IV, high baseplate and the bottom of the pump laser.
  • Page 45 If any of the following conditions apply, the alignment of the pump laser beam into the SolsTiS laser head may first need to be (re-) optimized, in order to ensure maximum pumping efficiency and hence maximum SolsTiS output 1.

  • Page 46: Your Optimum Pump Beam Path May Differ

    SolsTiS Final Test shown in the photograph in your Final Test Sheet. (See the example shown in Figure 29 below. Note – the optimum Sheet. position of your beam may differ from this.) If it is not, taking...
  • Page 47 1. If you discover or suspect the pump beam is not optimally aligned to the 8. PROVIDED THE RESIDUAL PUMP BEAM EXITING SOLSTIS’ SolsTiS laser, or you simply want to check pump beam alignment is optimised, please follow these instructions, which are designed to help OUTPUT APERTURE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CLIPPING, carefully increase the pump laser output power.
  • Page 48 NOTE – as the unit is switched on, watch the power meter to see if a significant (>5%) change in output power occurs. If this b. If SolsTiS laser output is still not observed after +/- ¼ turn of the occurs, this indicates that powering up the control unit and...

  • Page 49: Wavelength Tuning & Scanning

    5. Carefully increase the pump power to that noted in the Final Test Sheet Final Test Sheet (see Appendix C). Attempting to for your system in Appendix C. Make a note of SolsTiS’ set wavelength, tune outside this region is not recommended, as as shown on the ‘Wavelength’...
  • Page 50 (SolsTiS-LX, -PX, -PSX, -SRX) range so that fine tuning is not started near to either end of an Once the BRF Tune control has been used to tune SolsTiS’ wavelength to étalon FSR. This minimizes the likelihood of a jump to a within one etalon FSR of the user’s target wavelength, the user can then...
  • Page 51 SolsTiS Cavity Mode (SolsTiS-PX, -PSX, -SRX) may be close to jumping the next étalon mode). Once SolsTiS has been fine tuned to the required wavelength, the Etalon Lock button on the laser control page of the UI may be pushed. This locks the peak of the étalon transmission function to the nearest longitudinal...
  • Page 52 (SolsTiS-SRX Only) ~50% (~2V). If this is not the case, and especially if the voltage Once SolsTiS has been fine tuned to the required wavelength and the étalon is close to the edge of its range, try disengaging the Cavity...
  • Page 53 (cavity length). To scan SolsTiS’ frequency, first set the desired scan width, and then Cavity single - the scan is run as described; at the end of the scan set the scan time on the laser control page of the UI.

  • Page 54: Storing User Settings

    Incorrect purge technique could potentially result in damage to your system. The SolsTiS laser head includes purge gas input and output ports in case gas purging of the head is required. This may be required if, for example, the user wishes to operate SolsTiS at or in the vicinity of highly absorbing atmospheric water vapour absorption lines.

  • Page 55: Maintenance & Troubleshooting

    If you  SolsTiS is optimised for use with a wide range of different experience difficulties with the normal operation of your laser system that third-party IEC/CE/CDRH-certified DPSS pump lasers.

  • Page 56: Monitoring Intracavity Photodiodes And Voltages

    Drop in SolsTiS Output Power Warning! Cleaning of laser optics, if prescribed for If a drop in SolsTiS output power is observed, especially if associated with a this laser system, should be carried out only when change in ambient temperature that differs significantly from the last time...

  • Page 57: Customer Service

    If you experience any difficulties with your laser system, require maintenance Talhofstraße 32, not described in this manual, require repairs, or if you have questions or D-82205 Gilching concerns, please do not hesitate to contact M Squared Lasers Ltd or your Germany authorized representative: Tel. 49-8105-7792-0...
  • Page 58 Rm 17H, 89 Zhongguanchundong Rd. Scientific Connections Haidian District, 100080 88 S. 3rd Street, Suite 285 Beijing San Jose, CA 95113 P.R. China Tel: +8610-62565117 Tel: +1-408-277-0868 +8610-84413925/26/71 E-mail: info@SciConn-Photonics.com Fax: +8610-62565117-11 Web: www.sciconn-photonics.com Web: www.pulsepower.cn E-mail: info@pulsepower.cn SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 59: Warranty

    – please inquire. the reasonable discretion of M Squared. The warranty period for the SolsTiS laser system you have purchased is for 1 Except as expressly set forth in the Warranty, M Squared makes no...

  • Page 60: Appendix A: Cleaning Laser Optics - General Guidelines

    Guidelines precautions and example methods for cleaning laser optics, but is not intended to describe cleaning Warning! M Squared Laser systems, and any third methods for specific optics in any specific laser party pump lasers used with them, are generally system.
  • Page 61 SolsTiS system be removed from its mount. In general, the only optics that are accessible and may require occasional cleaning are the input &...

  • Page 62: Appendix B: Pump Lasers Assessed For Use With Solstis

    SolsTiS. If a pump laser is not listed, however, it should under no circumstances be used with SolsTiS before contacting M Squared Lasers to confirm its compatibility (see Chapter 7 –...

  • Page 63: Appendix C: Final Data And Typical Performance Data For Your Solstis System

    This input is intended for scanning the laser over its full tuning range of over 25GHz when the laser is not locked to the reference MCX connectors on the back panel of the SolsTiS ICE-BLOC enable electrical cavity. The sensitivity at dc is about 2.5GHz/V, rolling off gradually control of the main laser tuning functions.
  • Page 64 The function of this connector is programmable using the Supervisor > Options page. At present it allows external electrical on/off control of the etalon dither signal. When enabled the UI control of dither On/Off is disabled. SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

  • Page 65: Appendix E: Operating The Laser Without The External Reference Cavity

    This enables the resonator to be scanned directly without being slaved to a reference cavity. The system remains calibrated in the usual way, but the resulting scans will be in the opposite polarity. SolsTiS User Manual v10.0...

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