Laser Resources

Major scientific areas of interest for BioCARS users and staff are Time-Resolved Crystallography and Time-resolved Solution Scattering. Pulsed lasers used for reaction initiation are essential for time-resolved experiments. BioCARS Laser Laboratory houses BioCARS ps laser system and other laser-related equipment and supplies. In addition to the ps laser system, BioCARS also provides two ns lasers and a number of CW lasers and laser diodes.

Lasers Presently Available Include:

• ps laser system
  • (Spectra Physics, Ti:Sapphire Spitfire Pro 5; 780nm; 2ps; 1kHz; 5mJ/pulse; plus TOPAS OPA; tunable range: 350nm-2µm)
• ns laser systems
  • Nd:YAG/OPO laser (UV-VIS)
    (OPOTEK Opolette 355 HE; 7ns pulse duration; 20Hz; tunable range: 210-2200nm; max energy @ 300nm: 1mJ/pulse; max energy @ 450nm: 8mJ/pulse)
  • Nd:YAG/OPO laser (NIR)
    (OPOTEK Opolette 532 LD; 7ns pulse duration; 20Hz; tunable range: 650-2400nm; max energy @ 1400nm: 6mJ/pulse)
• Several CW lasers and laser diodes (for various wavelengths)

The picosecond laser system was acquired in collaboration with Philip Anfinrud (NIDDK/NIH) and is necessary to achieve ~100 ps time resolution, determined by the duration of the X-ray pulses. Picosecond laser light is passed from the Laser Lab to the 14 ID-B Station, where time-resolved experiments are conducted, by an optical fiber or a set of mirrors. Nanosecond lasers are located in the 14 ID-B Station.