Dual module violet laser diode on the FACSVantage DiVa
Our FACSVantage DiVa is now equipped with a dual module violet laser diode from Power Technology. This unit consists of two 60 mW violet laser diodes (VLDs), with their diodes separated from their control/cooling units and mounted at 90 degrees to one another on an aluminum plate. The individual diodes each emit at approximately 405 nm (+2 nm). The beams are polarized perpendicular to one another, and are merged using a polarized beamsplitter cube, which transmits one beam and reflects the other. The resulting merged beam provides over 100 mW of 405 nm laser light for a variety of applications, including excitation of Cascade Blue, Alexa Fluor 405 and Pacific Blue, and Cyan Fluorescence Protein (CFP), particularly for CFP-YFP FRET.
(Below). The dual module laser unit. Left photo, the complete unit, including the control/cooling units (mounted on the right), and the laser diodes mounted on an aluminum plate with the beamsplitter cube (on the right). Right photo, the laser diodes and beamsplitter cube. Emission is to the left.
(Below). The dual module laser unit ready for installation on the FACSVantage DiVa. This "package" contains both the dual VLD and the UV laser beam attenuation/power monitoring/merge optics and can be installed directly on the FACSVantage laser bench. The dual VLD is integrated into the Nd:YVO4 laser path, so that either laser can be used at one time; the VLD path is merged into the UV laser path using a 390 SP laser dichroic (left-most component). The UV laser attenuating beamsplitter and broadband power meter are also installed on this package.
(Below). The dual module laser unit installed on the FACSVantage DiVa. The dual VLD/UV laser optical package installed on the FACSVantage. The Vanguard UV laser is visible at left.
