SPECTRA-Physics has released the Hurricane i, an industrial version of its one-box, all solid state, ultrafast laser amplifier, now available from Lastek .
Designed in cooperation with system integrators and end users, this ruggedised laser has been developed to support the growing industrial and OEM market for amplified ultrafast pulses.
The Hurricane i delivers up to 1.25 watts of near-infrared output, with a pulse duration of less than 130 femtoseconds and a repetition rate of 1 to 5kHz.
The Hurricane i incorporates a number of design features that have been specifically optimised for cost-effective OEM integration.
For example, the one-box laser head itself comprises four separate, self-contained modules: the oscillator, regenerative amplifier, amplifier pump laser, and stretcher/compressor unit.
This combination of state-of-the-art subsystems and components delivers unprecedented beam pointing and power stability, as well as long-term reliability.
This modular approach also enables very simple field service. Ease of integration is further simplified by the fact that all laser functions are controlled via a RS-232 interface, with no manual knobs or switches.
The laser is also equipped with a suite of extensive on-board diagnostics. The ability to self-diagnose operation in real time will deliver greater consistency in industrial processes and higher product yields.
The main industrial applications for this new rugged laser are expected to be in precision-materials processing (eg. drilling small holes).
A critical advantage of using ultrafast laser pulses in materials-processing applications is that they remove material by means of multiphoton ablation, which is a "cold" process - minimising collateral damage.
Moreover, multiphoton ablation can be used to process virtually any type of material.
In addition to precision industrial applications, these Hurricane i lasers will also find use in demanding laboratory applications, where rugged reliability is a premium consideration.