iChrome FLE

Flexible Multi-Color Laser Combiner

  • Up to 7 laser lines for all important fluorophores from 405 to 785 nm
  • COOLAC automatic alignment, never again waste valuable lab time for manual laser alignment
  • Tailored to your light source requirements with one or two fiber outputs
  • Best image contrast and unsurpassed lifetime by AOM/AOTF-free all diode design
  • Combine two different applications with one laser engine – fiber switch / fiber splitter

TOPTICA's iChrome FLE is a flexible laser engine that combines up to 7 laser lines in up to two polarization-maintaining single-mode fibers. Power levels reach up to 100 mW per laser line. The flexible setup can be customized to fit the special needs of every customer. The FLE’s standard wavelength range is 405 - 647 nm, while wavelength of up to 785 nm can be integrated on request. Like all iChrome systems, the FLE guarantees a plug & play installation via TOPTICA's proprietary COOLAC automatic alignment technology.

Systems equipped with two laser fibers benefit from TOPTICA’s fiber-switching technology, which combines fiber switching and fiber splitting in one option. Power hungry applications can benefit from the full power level at the corresponding fiber, while applications like a two light-sheet setup benefits from an exact power balance between both fibers.

Another option available with the iChrome FLE is a separate fiber for up to two wavelength. TOPTICA’s optical design gives room for two lasers to be carried in an extra fiber. This could be special wavelengths, which are designed to run through a separate beam path (for example 405 or 785 nm, which are separately corrected within the microscopes beam path). Another option is to double existing wavelength for simultaneous high-power operation (for example 405 or 488 nm for a separate FRAP input of a microscope).

The iChrome FLE is designed and optimized to suit many different microscopy techniques. Modulation behavior is thoroughly tested and optimized at TOPTICA, to guarantee best performance for scanning applications. With its power level and wavelength range, the unit is also a perfect fit for many non-scanning applications, like light-sheet microscopy (also known as SPIM), TIRF, spinning disk, super-resolution microscopy and many other applications.

COOLAC gives the laser combiner plug-and-play simplicity. Installation is done with the simple click of a button in the user software. Green wavelength (532, 561 and 594 nm) laser light is generated by TOPTICA´s proprietary FDDL (Frequency Doubled Diode Laser) technology, an all diode approach for these very important wavelengths. Each laser line, including the FDDL’s, are directly modulated up to a frequency of 1 MHz and TOPTICA's "Complete OFF" mechanism guarantees zero photons in the "off"-state. “Complete OFF” also means, that there is absolutely no cross talk between the individual wavelength.

  • Specification

    Wavelength [nm] 405 420 445 460 473 488 505 515 532 561 594 640 647
    Max. Number of Wavelengths 7, max. 2x FDDL
    Laser Type Diode FDDL Diode
    Center Wavelength
    Range [nm]
    ± 4 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5 ± 5 ± 4 ± 5 ± 5 ± 2 ± 2 ± 2 +3
    -5
    +4
    -2
    Fiber Coupled cw
    Output Power [mW]
    50/
    100
    40 50/
    100
    40/
    100
    100 40/
    100
    30 30/
    60
    50 20/
    60
    15 80 60

    Power Stability ± 2 % (drift over  8h @ room temperature +/- 3 °C)
    RMS Noise
    (10Hz - 10MHz)
    < 0.5 % < 1 % < 1.5 % < 0.5 %
    < 1.1
    Ellipticity < 10 %
    Polarization linear
    Polarization Ratio > 60:1 (typ.)
    Polarization Orientation Tolerance linear, ± 3° (slow axis aligned to index key)
    Fiber Specification
    No. of Fiber Outputs 1 o 2
    Fiber Output Switching Time 350 ms
    Fiber Output Power Ratio variable from 95:5 to 5:95
    Fiber Output Connector FC/AFC (8° angled) as standard, others like FC/PC, FC/APC, FCP8 or SC on request
    Fiber Cable Length 2 m (max.)
    Fiber Cable Type 3 mm Stainless Steel Reinforced
    Fiber Type Single-mode, Polarization Maintaining
    Fiber Numerical Aperture (5%) (typ.) 0.080 0.080 0.078 0.077 0.077 0.076 0.075 0.074 0.073 0.071 0.069 0.066 0.066
    Mode-field diameter (typ.) [µm] 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.9 5.0 5.2 5.4 5.6 6.2 6.7 7.5 7.7
    Electronic Specification
    Digital Modulation
    Supported Digital Signal Levels TTL
    Max. Digital Modulation Frequency 1000 kHz
    Rise/Fall Time
    (10% - 90 %, typ.)
    < 0.5 µs
    Trigger to light < 1.5 µs (typ.)
    Digital Modulation Extinction Ratio inf.
    Analog Modulation
    Max. Modulation Frequency 1000 kHz (depending on modulation depth)
    Analog Trigger to Light < 1.5 µs (typ.)
    General  and Environmental Specification
    Certification CE compliance / RoHS complinace / CDRH
    Laser class 3b or 4 (depending on wavelength configuration)
    Digital Communication Interface RS 232 (≤ 115.200 baud), Ethernet
    DC Input Requirements 12 V DC, < 7 A
    Power Consumption < 80 W
    Operating Ambient Temperature Range 15 .. 35 °C
    Storage Temperature Range -10 .. 60 °C
    Operating Relative Humidity (non condensing) < 90 % (at 20°C)
    Dimensions Laser Head 131 x 400 x 488 mm³ (H x W x D)
    Weight 17 kg
  • Additional Information
  • Options

    Standard Features:

    • COOLAC: Constant Optical Output Level by push-button auto-recalibration. This feature ensures full drop-shipment capability and best stability even under heavily changing ambient conditions
    • FINE: Feedback Induced Noise Eraser for laser diode based wavelengths. Immunization to optical feedback, ideal for fiber coupling and reflective surfaces

     Optional Features:

    • FiberOut: Fiber collimator for FC/APC and FC/PC fibers
  • Applications
    • Flow cytometry
    • Confocal microscopy
    • Live-cell imaging
    • TIRF
    • FRAP
    • High throughput screening 
    • Genome analyzers
    • Optogenetics
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