This webcam based device is designed for monitoring
beam pointing stability and beam collimation
in femtosecond spectrometry experiments where
variable optical delay stage is used. Anybody
who worked in the field of femtosecond spectroscopy
knows that alignment of the optical delay stage
is a critical requirement for obtaining reliable
data. For example, in case of transient absorption
and fluorescence upconversion experiments there
are two beams focused and overlapped in the
same spot. One of these beams is sent through
a variable optical delay stage which changes
the optical path length for this beam by as
much as 1 meter (typical value for HalcyoneTM
and HeliosTM). Most commonly the wavelength
of the beam sent through the delay stage is
around 800 nm. This wavelength is difficult
to see by eye, which poses additional difficulties
for delay stage alignment. A digital camera
on the other hand can detect light around 800
nm very well and therefore produces a clear
image of the beam profile. There are two main
parameters one must control to insure good performance
of the optical delay stage:
- Beam collimation. If the beam going through
the delay stage is not well collimated, the
size of the focus will change as the optical
path length changes. This will affect the
overlap between the two beams and result in
erroneous data. With our alignment tool a
user can carefully monitor the beam profile
and make the necessary adjustments to the
beam collimating optics (if applicable).
- Beam pointing. If the delay stage is not
properly aligned, beam pointing will change
as the stage is translated from one end of
the track to the other. This will in turn
affect the spatial overlap of the two beams
and result in inaccurate data. Beam pointing
is the most frequently checked parameter.
We recommend verifying delay stage alignment
every day.
Applications:
- Optical delay stage alignment
- Beam profile monitoring
- Beam pointing stability control
Features:
- High quality digital image (640x480)
- Plug-and-play USB interface
- Comes with standalone software
- Drivers are integrated into HeliosTM and
HaclyoneTM software
For more details and pricing information
please contact
us.
