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Toptica FemtoFiber pro Series Manual

Ultrafast erbium fiber laser system
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FemtoFiber
Ultrafast Erbium Fiber Laser System
Copyright
D-82166 Graefelfing/Munich
(September 2018 Subject to change without notice)
Manual
Manual: M-043 Version 07
2018 T
OPTICA
T
Photonics AG
OPTICA
Lochhamer Schlag 19
Tel.: +49 89 85837-0
Fax: +49 89 85837-200
email: info@toptica.com
http://www.toptica.com
®
pro
Photonics AG

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Summary of Contents for Toptica FemtoFiber pro Series

  • Page 1 Ultrafast Erbium Fiber Laser System Manual Manual: M-043 Version 07  Copyright 2018 T Photonics AG OPTICA Photonics AG OPTICA Lochhamer Schlag 19 D-82166 Graefelfing/Munich Tel.: +49 89 85837-0 Fax: +49 89 85837-200 email: info@toptica.com http://www.toptica.com (September 2018 Subject to change without notice)
  • Page 3 We will provide you with quick and competent help through our service staff and product managers. You can contact us in the following ways: - Internet: service.toptica.com. In our support section you can find a list of frequently asked ques- tions and a service contact form - Email: service@toptica.com - Phone: +49-89-85837-150.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Contents The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System Principle of Operation System Variants 1.2.1 Infrared System FemtoFiber® pro IR 1.2.2 Infrared System FemtoFiber® pro IRS-II 1.2.3 Near-Infrared System FemtoFiber® pro NIR 1.2.4 High-Power Yb-doped System FemtoFiber® pro SCYb 1.2.5 Super Continuum Infrared System FemtoFiber®...
  • Page 6 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System System Requirements USB Connection 5.2.1 Installation of FTDI CDM Drivers for USB Connection Installation of FemtoFiber® pro GUI-Software Start of FemtoFiber® pro GUI-Software Operation of FemtoFiber® pro GUI-Software 5.5.1 General 5.5.2...
  • Page 7 Userlevels 6.8.1 General 6.8.2 Changing the UserLevel FemtoFiber® pro Operation via Software Commands 6.9.1 Basic Operation 6.9.2 Tuning the internal Pulse Compressor 6.9.3 Tuning the internal SF 10 Compressor (only UCP and TVIS) 6.9.4 Reducing the Power Level 6.9.5 System Status 6.9.6 Troubleshooting 6.9.7...
  • Page 8 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 9: The Femtofiber® Pro Laser System

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® The FemtoFiber pro Laser System Mode-locked femtosecond lasers have nowadays found their way into a wide variety of both scientific ® and industrial applications. With the FemtoFiber pro Laser System, T OPTICA Photonics AG merges the per- formance of traditional Ti:Sapphire oscillators with the advantages of an all-fiber laser source.

  • Page 10: Principle Of Operation

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Principle of Operation ® Figure 2 Schematic setup of the FemtoFiber pro laser system The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System illustrated in Figure 2 is based on state-of-the-art telecom components. A core-pumped fiber, doped with Erbium ions, acts as the active laser medium. A so called saturable absorber mirror (SAM) inside the ring cavity (1) in Figure 2 favors mode-locked operation over continuous wave laser activity by exploiting the effect of picking and amplifying only pulses with a certain ampli- tude.

  • Page 11: System Variants

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System System Variants ® 1.2.1 Infrared System FemtoFiber pro IR ® ® The basic system of the FemtoFiber pro series, the FemtoFiber pro IR, is a compact system comprising oscillator, amplifier and prism compressor in a single box. The unit delivers a collimated free-beam with more than 350 mW at 1560 nm fundamental wavelength.

  • Page 12: Infrared System Femtofiber® Pro Irs-Ii

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 1.2.2 Infrared System FemtoFiber pro IRS-II ® ® The FemtoFiber pro IRS-II is a short-pulse version of T OPTICA ´s FemtoFiber pro series. It comprises a very robust master-oscillator with power amplifier in one single box. It is built as an all-fiber laser system with no free space optics.

  • Page 13: Near-Infrared System Femtofiber® Pro Nir

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® 1.2.3 Near-Infrared System FemtoFiber pro NIR ® ® In addition to the features of the FemtoFiber pro IR, the FemtoFiber pro NIR includes an additional exit aperture with a single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) using a periodically poled Li:NbO (PPLN) ®...
  • Page 14 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System The typical characteristics of the fundamental wavelength are the same as shown for the basic system ® FemtoFiber pro IR (see Figure 4). The frequency-doubled characteristics are shown in the following typi- cal measurements. ® Figure 9 Typical pulse characteristics and emission spectrum of FemtoFiber pro NIR (SHG output)

  • Page 15: High-Power Yb-Doped System Femtofiber® Pro Scyb

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® 1.2.4 High-Power Yb-doped System FemtoFiber pro SCYb ® The FemtoFiber pro SCYb is an all-fiber high-power laser system at 1030 nm emission wavelength, provid- ing more than 500 mW on average and pulses shorter than 100 fs. It is based on a very stable SAM mode- locked Er-doped oscillator running at 1560 nm which gets frequency shifted into the 1030 nm range by use of a nonlinear fiber.

  • Page 16: Super Continuum Infrared System Femtofiber® Pro Scir

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 1.2.5 Super Continuum Infrared System FemtoFiber pro SCIR ® Alternately to the second-harmonic stage, the FemtoFiber pro SCIR provides a supercontinuum genera- tion by using a highly nonlinear fiber (HLNF). This fiber generates a widened spectrum of 980 to 2200 nm, which is available at the primary exit aperture.

  • Page 17: Ultra Compressed Pulse System Femtofiber® Pro Ucp

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® 1.2.6 Ultra Compressed Pulse System FemtoFiber pro UCP ® The FemtoFiber pro UCP (Ultra Compressed Pulse) is the first model of the extended versions of T OPTICA ® FemtoFiber pro series. It comprises a very rugged master-oscillator with a power amplifier in a very com- pact design.

  • Page 18: Tunable Visible System Femtofiber® Pro Tvis

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 1.2.7 Tunable Visible System FemtoFiber pro TVIS ® The FemtoFiber pro TVIS (Tunable VISible) is a further extension of the previously described UCP system. The compressed continuum is getting frequency-doubled into the visible light region by a following non- linear crystal.
  • Page 19 1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System Figure 17 Typical pulse characteristics, emission spectra and power distribution of the tunable FemtoFi- ® pro TVIS system Page 15 Status: 6.9.18...
  • Page 20 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 1.2.7.1 Options Extended Tuning Range Option ® The FemtoFiber pro TVIS can be equipped with different crystals to extend the tuning range to 488 - 700 nm. In case this option is ordered, the standard crystal is exchanged to a two-crystal design, where the first crystal works from 480 - 540 nm, and the second from 520 - 700 nm.

  • Page 21: Tunable Near Infrared System Femtofiber® Pro Tnir

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® 1.2.8 Tunable Near Infrared System FemtoFiber pro TNIR ® The FemtoFiber pro TNIR (Tunable Near-InfraRed) allows frequency doubling of the long wavelength part of the supercontinuum. This part of the continuum is solitonic, hence does not need any re-compres- sion.
  • Page 22 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Figure 19 Typical pulse characteristics, emission spectra and power distribution of the tunable FemtoFi- ® pro TNIR system, available in two configurations Page 18 Status: 6.9.18...
  • Page 23 1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® 1.2.8.1 Configurations and 1 ps Option FemtoFiber pro TNIR Configurations ® The FemtoFiber pro TNIR laser head is available in two different configurations which allow to modify the power spectrum. Configuration 1 is enhancing the output power in the lower wavelength range 830 ..

  • Page 24: Options

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Options 1.3.1 Multi-Arm Laser System In order to allow multibeam experiments with synchronized beams originating from one common oscilla- ® tor, FemtoFiber pro systems are scalable as master-slave configurations with up to 3 slave lasers. Those AMP systems differ from the master system by the missing oscillator unit and a fiber input port instead.

  • Page 25: Oscillator Repetition Rate 40 Mhz Or Customized

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 1.3.3 Oscillator Repetition Rate 40 MHz or Customized ® The standard repetition rate of all FemtoFiber pro systems is 80 MHz. Upon request, an optional 40 MHz ® design is also available. The product id suffix for such FemtoFiber pro systems is “M40”.

  • Page 26: Laser Repetition Rate Control

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 1.3.5 Laser Repetition Rate Control ® The LRC option enables the user to synchronize the repetition rate of the FemtoFiber pro Laser with an external reference signal. This task is achieved by actively controlling the length of the laser cavity, which in turn determines the round-trip time of the oscillating light pulse.

  • Page 27: Tnir Secondary Output For Ucp And Tvis

    1. The FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 1.3.6 TNIR Secondary Output for UCP and TVIS For the two system variants FemtoFiber pro TVIS and FemtoFiber pro UCP, the second-harmonic genera- tion setup which is originally used in the FemtoFiber pro TNIR can be optionally added. This allows to have both units in a single box.

  • Page 28: Safety Instructions And Warnings

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Safety Instructions and Warnings General Safety Terms ® The FemtoFiber pro Laser System Laser Head is manufactured according to the Laser Safety Standard EN 60825-1:2014 and complies with US laws 21 CFR §1040.10 and §1040.11. The following safety terms are used in this manual: The DANGER ! heading in this manual explains danger that could result in personal injury or death.
  • Page 29 2. Safety Instructions and Warnings DANGER ! Regular functional checks and performance inspections at the supplier are recommended for all laser safety goggles. DANGER ! Do not position the equipment so that it is difficult to operate the disconnecting device. DANGER ! Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.

  • Page 30: Safety Labels

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Safety Labels 2.2.1 Protective Housing ® The FemtoFiber pro Laser Head has a protective cover fixed by screws. This cover should not be removed by the customer, there are no user serviceable parts inside. DANGER ! While the cover is removed for maintenance or service, the laser current must be reduced to laser power of Class 1 level or switched off completely.

  • Page 31: Laser Beam

    2. Safety Instructions and Warnings 2.2.2 Laser Beam ® The FemtoFiber pro Laser Head contains a fiber laser which, depending on the variant and options, emits visible or/and invisible pulsed laser radiation of less than 500 mW power (classified as Class 3 B laser product) or above 500 mW power (classified as Class 4 laser product).

  • Page 32: Apertures

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 2.2.3 Apertures During operation, the laser beam is emitted through one or two apertures located on the aperture plates and one or more FC/APC connector(s). The apertures and FC/APC connector(s) are marked by the labels shown below. The apertures can be closed by an aperture shutter (see section 2.5.2). The FC/APC connectors are closed by a cap.

  • Page 33: Identification Of Manufacturer

    2. Safety Instructions and Warnings Identification of Manufacturer Manufacturer (name and address), serial number, compliance with CE standards and Product ID num- ber are noted on the identification labels: ® 2.3.1 FemtoFiber pro Control Unit Size: 60 mm x 34 mm Size: 38 mm x 19 mm Color:...

  • Page 34: Safety Features Of The Femtofiber® Pro Laser System

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® Safety Features of the FemtoFiber pro Laser System 2.5.1 External Interlock ® The FemtoFiber pro Control Unit provides the user with an interlock connector located at the rear panel ® (see Figure 31). In case of an interlock, the laser head controlled by the respective FemtoFiber pro Con- trol Unit is disabled.

  • Page 35: Laser Beam Shutter

    2. Safety Instructions and Warnings 2.5.2 Laser Beam Shutter ® Figure 24 FemtoFiber pro laser head aperture shutter ® DANGER ! Do not look into any exiting beam of the FemtoFiber pro Laser Head as the output can exceed the limits for class 1 specified by the US laws 21 CFR 1040.10 and 2 CFR 1040.11 and the Laser Safety Standard EN 60825-1:2014.

  • Page 36: Fuses

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 2.5.3 Fuses ® The connector block contains two fuses and is located at the rear panel of the FemtoFiber pro Control Unit. ® Figure 25 Fuses at FemtoFiber pro control unit connector block To replace the fuses, open the connector block cover as shown in Figure 25 and pull out the fuse holder. Use only Miniature Fuses 5 x 20 mm, T 2.5 A, 250 V.

  • Page 37: Installation

    3. Installation Installation Inspection after Delivery ® The FemtoFiber pro Laser System is packaged in a carton designed to give maximum protection during shipment. If the outside of the shipping package is damaged, notify your shipping department immedi- ately. The shipping agent may wish to notify the carrier at this point. ®...
  • Page 38 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System A two/three/four arm system consists of basic system with items 1..7 two/three/four times and one/two/three FC/APC fibers, each 1 m long two/three/four Ethernet patchcords Ethernet switch Power supply for Ethernet switch incl. mains supply cable ®...
  • Page 39 3. Installation ® Additional items of a FemtoFiber pro Laser System with LRC Option ® Figure 28 Additional items FemtoFiber pro laser system with LRC-option 12” Supply Rack with 4 Plug in Modules (PHD 110, MB 110, PID 110, MC 110) Additional SMA to SMA connecting cable, 2 m long Interlock plug 50 Ω...

  • Page 40: Installation Instructions Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® Installation Instructions FemtoFiber pro Laser Head ® Figure 29 FemtoFiber pro laser head (example) ® When installing the FemtoFiber pro Laser Head the following instructions have to be observed: ® • The FemtoFiber pro Laser Head must be fixed by brackets or clamping forks to a breadboard ®...

  • Page 41: Operation

    4. Operation Operation ® Operator Controls FemtoFiber pro Laser Head ® Figure 30 Operator controls at FemtoFiber pro laser head (example) 1 Secondary Aperture (only 6 FC/APC Connector Arm 1 11 Power/Control Connector available with NIR/UCP/TVIS variants) 2 Primary Aperture 7 Motor Stage (only VAR 12 Only TVIS variant Option)

  • Page 42: Description Of Operator Controls Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 4.1.1 Description of Operator Controls FemtoFiber pro Laser Head ® Secondary Aperture of the FemtoFiber pro Laser Head: Secondary Aperture NIR Variant: 1560 nm frequency doubled laser beam. (only available with UCP Variant: 980 - 1400 nm supercontinuum laser beam. NIR/UCP/TVIS variant) TVIS Variant: 488 - 640 nm tunable laser beam.

  • Page 43: Operator Controls Femtofiber® Pro Control Unit

    4. Operation ® Operator Controls FemtoFiber pro Control Unit ® Figure 31 Operator controls FemtoFiber pro Control Unit NOTE ! The operator controls for the mode-locked ring oscillator and the one or two non-linear fiber amplifiers (depending on the specification) are identical and described only once. 14 Mains Connector 19 USB Type A Connector 24 Power/Control Connector...

  • Page 44: Description Of Operator Controls Femtofiber® Pro Control Unit

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 4.2.1 Description of Operator Controls FemtoFiber pro Control Unit Socket for connection to the mains line via the supplied mains cable. 14 Mains Connector 15 Fuse Holder For changing the fuses please see section 2.5.3. Use only Miniature Fuse 5 x 20 mm, T 2.5 A, 250 V.

  • Page 45: Connection Of The Femtofiber® Pro Laser System

    4. Operation ® Connection of the FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® CAUTION ! Before plugging in the cables, make sure that the FemtoFiber pro Control Unit is switched OFF at the ON/OFF Switch at the rear panel. ® The following basic connections are necessary to operate the FemtoFiber pro Laser System: When not in use, the Oscillator Monitor Output (10) must be 50 Ω...

  • Page 46: Additional Connections Femtofiber® Pro With Var And Lrc Option

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Only 2, 3 and 4 arm systems: ® Connect the Control Computer to the USB Type A connector (Figure 31: 19) of the FemtoFiber main Control Unit. ® Connect the Ethernet switch to the power supply. Connect the Ethernet switch to the FemtoFiber pro Control Units by patchcords.

  • Page 47: Power Up Of Femtofiber® Pro Systems

    4. Operation ® Power Up of FemtoFiber pro Systems ® DANGER ! Do not look into the exiting beam of the FemtoFiber pro Laser Head as the output can exceed the limits for class 1 specified by the US laws 21 CFR 1040.10 and 2 CFR 1040.11 and the Laser Safety Standard EN 60825-1:2014.

  • Page 48: Computer Control Of The Femtofiber® Pro Laser System

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® Computer Control of the FemtoFiber pro Laser System Key features: • Built-in microprocessor for system control • Easy communication through web browser • Access to motorized controls, such as variable pulse compression • Python command structure available for system integration ®...
  • Page 49 5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System Figure 33 NOTE ! For latest drivers, please see www.ftdichip.com and search for VCP (Virtual Com Port) driv- ers. Connect the supplied USB cable first to the USB Type B connector (Figure 31: 20) of the FemtoFi- ®...
  • Page 50 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Figure 35 Click Finish to complete the installation. Page 46 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 51: Installation Of Femtofiber® Pro Gui-Software

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® Installation of FemtoFiber pro GUI-Software NOTE ! You will need to have administrator rights to run the setup. If you don't have logged in with such rights, you will need to logon as such first. As an alternative, you may also run setup.exe under a different user while using right-mouse-click and select "run as..."...
  • Page 52 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Only Windows 8.0: Please check the Disable Windows fast startup checkbox (Figure 38) the and confirm with Next. Figure 38 Figure 39 Confirm the License Agreement. Click Next to start the copying process (Figure 39 right). Page 48 Status: 6.9.18...
  • Page 53 5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System Figure 40 The installation progress may take several minutes. Click Next to exit the installation wizard (Figure 40 right). The window shown in Figure 41 appears. Figure 41 Click Restart to make sure that the computer is running with all the necessary drivers and libraries properly.
  • Page 54 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Figure 42 Please select the appropriate safety level and click Allow access. Page 50 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 55: Start Of Femtofiber® Pro Gui-Software

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System ® Start of FemtoFiber pro GUI-Software ® The FemtoFiber pro GUI will add a program group to your installed programs. Select "Start -> All Pro- grams -> FFpro-GUI -> FFpro-GUI" to start the software. Figure 43 ®...

  • Page 56: Operation Of Femtofiber® Pro Gui-Software

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® Operation of FemtoFiber pro GUI-Software 5.5.1 General Figure 44 Example: Changing Numeric Input Controls Changing numeric input controls: Set the focus on the desired numeric control (left click on the field). A cursor appears in the input field. The digit to the left of the cursor can be incremented/decremented with the up/down arrow keys.

  • Page 57: Connection Tab

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 5.5.2 Connection Tab Figure 45 Connection tab available serial ports The list contains all available COM-ports of the control com- puter. rescan Clicking updates the corresponding list. available TCP/IP connections The list contains all available laser heads for which an Ethernet connection has been established (see section 5.6).

  • Page 58: Laser Control Tab

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 5.5.3 Laser Control Tab Figure 46 Laser Control tab (example) ON/OFF Clicking switches the laser emission ON/OFF. set level Changing the set level reduces the laser power (1 corresponds to 100 %). When the laser power is reduced, the laser is not operating under standard specification and the white Laser ®...

  • Page 59: Laser Control Tab Standard System Ucp And Tvis Variant

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 5.5.4 Laser Control Tab Standard System UCP and TVIS Variant Figure 47 Laser Control tab (example) For description of the basic operator controls, please refer to section 5.5.3. ® NOTE ! The following operator controls are only available with the FemtoFiber pro UCP and TVIS variant.

  • Page 60: Laser Control Tab Multi-Arm Laser System

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 5.5.5 Laser Control Tab Multi-Arm Laser System ® With a Multi-Arm Laser System, for each arm a Laser Control Tab appears after the FemtoFiber pro GUI ® has activated a connection to the FemtoFiber pro main Control Unit. The number of the respective arm is displayed above the Indicator laser triangle.

  • Page 61: Info Tab

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 5.5.6 Info Tab Figure 49 Info tab ® table Displays FemtoFiber pro system specific parameters. refresh info Reloads and updates the table. Page 57 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 62: Console Tab

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 5.5.7 Console Tab DANGER ! If the laser system is controlled via the Console tab, please note that the Indicator laser tri- angle is not updated according to the operating status of the individual laser(s). To signalize this, the Indicator laser triangle is covered with a red bar and a warning mes- sage.

  • Page 63: Ethernet Connection

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System Ethernet Connection 5.6.1 Installation of the Ethernet Connection ® NOTE ! To control the FemtoFiber pro via Ethernet, first a suitable TCP/IP connection must be established. NOTE ! With a Multi-Arm Laser System, the Ethernet connection must be established for each ®...

  • Page 64: Web Frontend

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Web Frontend ® NOTE ! To control the FemtoFiber pro via Ethernet, first a suitable TCP/IP connection must be established. ® Parallel to the FemtoFiber pro GUI Software tool, all controls are offered via a web-browser based fron- ®...

  • Page 65: Operation

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 5.7.1 Operation After clicking on the “Operation” link on the web frontend homepage (Figure 51), the operation page will be displayed: Figure 52 The control elements on this page are principally the same as on the Laser Control Tab of the FemtoFi- ®...

  • Page 66: Console

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 5.7.3 Console ® The console window offers an integrated terminal to communicate with the FemtoFiber pro Control Unit by typing in commands directly. Figure 53 screen Built-in terminal to display the communication with the FemtoFi- ®...

  • Page 67: System Properties

    5. Computer Control of the FemtoFiber® pro Laser System 5.7.4 System Properties ® This page lists a detailed report about the status of the FemtoFiber pro Laser System. The information is ® more detailed than the one on the FemtoFiber pro GUI Info Tab.

  • Page 68: Firmware Update

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 5.7.8 Firmware Update ® This page allows to upload a new firmware to the FemtoFiber pro Control Unit. Select a file location and press upload to start the update process. ® NOTE ! With a Multi-Arm Laser System only the FemtoFiber pro main Control Unit can be updated via the firmware update window.

  • Page 69: Appendix

    Laser Systems Your laser has been manufactured to the latest specifications. For reference please see the Production and Quality Control Test Data Sheet or the T OPTICA website (www.toptica.com) for general specifications. ® FemtoFiber pro with VAR Option 6.2.1 Installation To install and run the laser, in general please first follow sections 3, 4 and 5 of this manual.

  • Page 70: Femtofiber® Pro With Lrc Option

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® FemtoFiber pro with LRC Option 6.3.1 Installation ® NOTE ! The LRC option requires the VAR option installed in the FemtoFiber pro laser system. To install and run the laser, in general please first follow sections 3, 4 and 5 of this manual. Always follow the Safety Instructions and Warnings noted in section 2 of this manual.

  • Page 71: Lrc Plug In Modules

    6. Appendix 6.3.3 LRC Plug in Modules 6.3.3.1 RF Input Amplification Module Figure 57 RF Input Amplification Module The RF Input Amplification Module preamplifies the RF input signals for the PHD 110 module. Connections: ® • Connect the first radio frequency input (RF1 in) to the Monitor SMA-connector at the FemtoFiber pro laser head.
  • Page 72 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.3.3.2 PHD 110 Module (Phase Detector) Figure 58 Front panel of the PHD 110 module The PHD 110 comprises an analog phase detector, which compares the instantaneous phase angles of two radio frequency signals (RF1 and RF2). The output voltage of the phase detector is proportional to the relative phase difference between the two input signals.
  • Page 73 6. Appendix 6.3.3.3 MB 110 Module (Measurement Unit) Figure 59 Front panel of the MB 110 module The measurement unit MB 110 contains a number of Analog-to-Digital converters which are used to pro- cess information about the operational state of the feedback loop. It obtains values for the signal level of RF1 and RF2, the instantaneous phase deviation and the RMS phase jitter from the PHD 110.
  • Page 74 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.3.3.4 PID 110 Module (PID Regulator) Figure 60 Front panel of the PID 110 module The PID 110 is a very versatile proportional integral differential regulator. In general, it is used to provide feedback to a system in a way as to minimize an error signal which has to be delivered as an input. Here the signal to be minimized is the relative phase deviation between the two radio frequency signals RF1 and RF2.
  • Page 75 6. Appendix 6.3.3.5 MC 110 Module (Motor Controller) Figure 61 Front panel of the MC 110 module The Motor Controller MC 110 controls the motion of the linear translation stage mounted inside the ® FemtoFiber pro laser head, which serves to coarsely adjust the repetition rate of the laser. Whenever the piezo voltage leaves a predefined interval around its middle value, the computer sends a trigger signal to the motor controller and the translation stage is set into motion.

  • Page 76: Lrc Software And Drivers

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.3.4 LRC Software and Drivers The provided software monitors the operating state of the feedback loop. Before the phase-locked loop can become effective, the software automatically adjusts the laser’s repetition rate to the reference fre- quency by moving the translation stage to a proper position.
  • Page 77 6. Appendix 6.3.4.1 FFS Cavity Coarse Loop Software Figure 62 The FFS Cavity Coarse Loop software Residual Phase Difference • scaling and appearance can be customized • single plots can be exported as two column ASCII files Spectrum of Residual Phase Difference •...
  • Page 78 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Piezo Voltage Indicator showing the voltage applied to the piezo used to controll the phase difference. Coarse Loop enable/disable Button When enabled, the software controls an additional slow piezo motor whenever the fast piezo has reached one of the given limits.
  • Page 79 6. Appendix Menu „File“: Save Phase saves the timeresolved residual phase signal as two-column ASCII table. Signal Save Phase saves the fourier transformed residual phase signal as two-column ASCII table. Spectrum Save Log saves the event log text to disk. Exit exits the application Menu „Help“:...

  • Page 80: Quick Start

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.3.5 Quick Start ® In order to use the LRC option of the FemtoFiber pro Laser System, please proceed as follows: Start the FFS Cavity Coarse Loop software on the laptop computer. On the top right corner of the program window, the difference between the laser repetition rate and the reference (11 in Figure 62) is displayed in units of Hz.

  • Page 81: Software And Driver Installation With Windows 7

    6. Appendix 6.3.7 Software and Driver Installation with Windows 7 NOTE ! Due to the multitude of computers and OS versions on the market, T OPTICA is not able to guarantee the operability of the FFS Cavity Coarse Loop software on any system other than the provided computer.
  • Page 82 Execute the setup program. The installation routine will take you through the installation process. Please follow the instructions given on the screen. After restarting your computer, the program can be found on your computer under Start -> All Pro- grams -> TOPTICA -> FFS-CavityCoarseLoop. Page 78 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 83: Computer Control Via Rs 232 Connection

    6. Appendix Computer Control via RS 232 Connection Start your terminal program, select the COM port and set the following parameters: ® Enter a name for the FemtoFiber pro Laser System terminal connection. Press OK. ® Select the appropriate COM port which the FemtoFiber pro Laser System is connected to.

  • Page 84: Firmware Update

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Firmware Update NOTE ! With a Multi-Arm Laser System, the firmware update must be performed for each individ- ® ual FemtoFiber pro Control Unit. ® NOTE ! Never switch OFF the FemtoFiber pro Control Unit while a firmware update is performed. ®...
  • Page 85 6. Appendix Figure 65 After finishing, the user will be informed as follows and is asked to finalize the update with a reboot of the system. Figure 66 After rebooting, the system is ready to operate with the new firmware. Page 81 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 86: Troubleshooting

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Troubleshooting Problem Cause Solution The laser does not emit light/ External interlock circuit Close external interlock circuit cannot be switched ON. closed ? (see section 2.5.1). ® Boot sequence finished ? Switch ON the FemtoFiber Control Unit and wait until the boot sequence is finished (see section 4.4).

  • Page 87: General Information On The Python Programming Language

    6. Appendix General Information on the Python Programming Language The remote control language of the laser system is based on the Python programming language (Version 2.4.2). For controlling the laser, the most important elements are so-called properties and commands that are defined in addition to the standard Python language. The laser is ready for executing the next property read-out, assignment or command after the so- called prompt ">>>"...

  • Page 88: Commands

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.7.2 Commands In contrast to properties, commands always need brackets "( )" to be executed. Furthermore most of the commands need parameters which must be noted in the brackets. Some of the parameters might be optional and can be omitted.

  • Page 89: Error Messages

    6. Appendix 6.7.3 Error Messages In case of a problem, an error message gives information about the source of the problem. Python error messages always consist of a so-called traceback and the error type. Example: >>> 1/0 Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>...

  • Page 90: Userlevels

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System Userlevels 6.8.1 General ® The FemtoFiber pro can be controlled via different interfaces. While the access via RS232 and USB is lim- ® ited to only one controlling PC, which is furthermore directly connected to the FemtoFiber pro Control ®...

  • Page 91: Femtofiber® Pro Operation Via Software Commands

    6. Appendix ® FemtoFiber pro Operation via Software Commands 6.9.1 Basic Operation ® The FemtoFiber pro firmware offers a very flexible and powerful language for controlling the laser with all his features. However, for basic operation a small subset of the commands is sufficient: Switching ON and OFF The fiber oscillator for seeding the amplifier stages is started already during system initialization, immedi- ately after powering up the electronics.
  • Page 92 ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System For moving the prism two different methods are possible: ffpro.arm0.axSi.moveabswait() (command, 1 parameter) Move motor to absolute position and wait for arrival. parameter: absolute position in µm Example: >>> ffpro.arm0.axSi.moveabswait(33000) >>> While the prism is moving, the laser will not accept any further commands. It is also possible to send the motor to the desired position without waiting for it's arrival: ffpro.arm0.axSi.target (floating point property) motor target position in µm...

  • Page 93: Tuning The Internal Sf 10 Compressor (Only Ucp And Tvis)

    6. Appendix 6.9.3 Tuning the internal SF 10 Compressor (only UCP and TVIS) ® Before being emitted at one of the FemtoFiber pro apertures, the amplified pulses can be manipulated by the built-in SF 10 compressor in order to adjust the pulse length. The SF 10 compressor consists of a set of two highly dispersive prism, one of which can be moved by a motor in order to adjust the amount of dispersion applied to the pulses.

  • Page 94: Reducing The Power Level

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.9.4 Reducing the Power Level While the specified emission properties, such as pulse duration and output power, can only be guaran- teed when the amplifier is operated with the factory set amplification level, it might be desirable to reduce the power level for alignment purposes.

  • Page 95: Troubleshooting

    6. Appendix 6.9.6 Troubleshooting ® The FemtoFiber pro is equipped with many sensors, helping to constantly monitor the system health and to identify problems. There are a few commands which generate debugging outputs to analyze a potential problem and to support our service staff. Selftest ffpro.selftest() (command, 1 optional parameter) Performs a automatic selftest of the laser hardware.

  • Page 96: Error Log

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System 6.9.7 Error Log ® For troubleshooting purposes the FemtoFiber pro firmware maintains a log file, collecting all important events happening during operation. It contains information about the initialization process after system power up as well as a list of errors and warnings, eventually occurring later. The log file is reset upon sys- tem boot and only contains information about events that happened since laser power on time.

  • Page 97: Full Command Set

    6. Appendix 6.9.8 Full Command Set The commands explained above are most likely sufficient for all standard applications. If, however, more ® detailed information about the FemtoFiber pro control language is needed, a PDF document with the full set of available commands is available from each laser directly. It is stored in the internal memory of the laser, is updated with each firmware update and always contains a document version compatible with the currently installed firmware.

  • Page 98: Declaration Of Ce Conformity Femtofiber® Pro

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 6.10 Declaration of CE Conformity FemtoFiber Page 94 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 99: Declaration Of Ce Conformity Femtofiber® Pro Scyb

    6. Appendix ® 6.11 Declaration of CE Conformity FemtoFiber pro SCYb Page 95 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 100: Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (Ir/Nir/Scir)

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 6.12 FemtoFiber pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (IR/NIR/SCIR) ® Figure 67 FemtoFiber pro laser head main dimensions and apertures (IR/NIR/SCIR) (all possible apertures shown) Page 96 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 101: Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (Irs-Ii/Scyb)

    6. Appendix ® 6.13 FemtoFiber pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (IRS-II/SCYb) ® Figure 68 FemtoFiber pro laser head main dimensions and apertures (IRS-II/SCYb) Page 97 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 102: Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (Ucp/Tnir/Tvis)

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 6.14 FemtoFiber pro Laser Head Main Dimensions (UCP/TNIR/TVIS) ® Figure 69 FemtoFiber pro laser head main dimensions and apertures (UCP/TVIS/TNIR) (all possible apertures shown) Page 98 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 103: Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head Mounting Options (Ir/Irs-Ii/Nir/Scyb/Scir)

    6. Appendix ® 6.15 FemtoFiber pro Laser Head Mounting Options (IR/IRS-II/NIR/ SCYb/SCIR) Figure 70 The 3 supplied posts are compatible with commercial available pedestal pillar posts, which are clamped by standard clamping forks, e.g. Newport PS-F, Thorlabs CF 125 or CF 175. Page 99 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 104: Femtofiber® Pro Laser Head Mounting Options (Ucp/Tvis/Tnir)

    ® FemtoFiber pro Laser System ® 6.16 FemtoFiber pro Laser Head Mounting Options (UCP/TVIS/TNIR) Figure 71 The 5 supplied posts are compatible with commercial available pedestal pillar posts, which are clamped by standard clamping forks, e.g. Newport PS-F, Thorlabs CF 125 or CF 175. Page 100 Status: 6.9.18...

  • Page 105: License And Copyright Information Associated With Third Party Software

    6. Appendix 6.17 License and Copyright Information associated with Third Party Software This product incorporates certain third party software. The license and copyright information associated with this software is available in the folder Software License and Copyright Information on the supplied USB flash drive.

  • Page 106: Guarantee And Service

    Return Material Authorization (RMA) number for you. You can contact us in the following ways: - Internet: service.toptica.com. In our support section you can find a list of frequently asked ques- tions and a service contact form. - Email: service@toptica.com...

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