Jul 21 2007
The new Silhouette from Coherent, Inc. is a standalone pulse controller that can optimize results from a wide variety of ultrafast laser applications.
Based on a spatial light modulator, Silhouette uses a novel, patent-pending optical platform to provide closed-loop measurement and optimization of both the spectral phase and amplitude of ultrafast pulses. And because the Silhouette acquires data through a low profile, fiber-coupled sensor, pulse characteristics can be monitored and controlled at any location within an ultrafast setup—even at the output of an oscillator or amplifier or after beam delivery optics.
Silhouette is operated through a user-friendly software interface. Operation is simple enough to allow even a novice ultrafast laser user to correct phase distortions and achieve short, transform-limited pulses. The same software also enables sophisticated users to create novel phase and amplitude profiles.
Silhouette is intended for use with either commercial or home-built ultrafast laser systems. Typical applications include laser optimization, molecular dynamics research involving coherent reaction control, as well as optimization of non-linear processes such as multiphoton excitation.