CONTINUUM PY Series High Energy Picosecond Nd:YAG Lasers

Picosecond pulses with near diffraction limited beam quality
The PY60 Series of pulsed Nd:YAG laser systems produces high-energy picosecond pulses from a compact package. Active/passive mode-locking in a cavity-dumped, high-energy oscillator, combined with a single pass amplifier delivers unparalleled peak energies. In the PY61, both the oscillator and amplifier are pumped by the same flashlamp This muclue design brings you the power of an amplified system with a reduction in cost and complexity. The PY61C features a separate amplifier to provide maximum output energies. The near diffraction limited beam of the PY60 Series is based on Continuum's listened DFUR diffraction filtered unstable resonator design and careful attention to diffraction effects during amplificalion.

Cavity dumping for high peak energy and easy of use.
Continuum was the host to commercialize the active/passive mode-locking with the short pulse capability of passive mode-locking. Two dyes, Q-switching #1 and #5, are available as the passive mode-locking medium, providing pulsewidths of 40 and 25 psec respectively.
The PY60 Series employs this same form of mode-locking but, in addition, uses cavity dumping to extract a pulse. Cavity dumping is a technique whereby the output coupling of an oscillator is rapidly switched from a very low to a very high value. A single pulse is then ejected or "dumped" from the cavity. In the PY60 Series this is achieved electro-optically using a Pockels cell switch with the output beam ejected via a polarizer. The Pockel cell is triggered by a photodiode which senses the intensity build-up inside the cavity. This is simpler, easier to use and less complex than previous techniques employing an external pulse slicer.

Proven design
The PY61 Series pumping chamber design uses only a single flashlamp to pump both the oscillator rod and an amplifier rod, thus reducing the cost and size of the power supply. The high efficiency design results in optimum pump uniformity contributing to the excellent spatial beam profile.
The resonator design uses intracavity spatial filtering and a large mode volume to achieve high energy pulses which have a spatially smooth near diffraction-limited profile. At this level, pulses require only a single pass through the amplifier to achieve energies comparable to typical oscillator/double-amplifier systems.
The benefits of single pass amplification in the PY60 Series are superior beam quality and simplification over systems that use double-pass amplification. Spatial filtering and apodization between the oscillator and amplifier insure that the smooth spatial profile of the oscillator pulse is retained. As a result the spatial profile of the output pulse has minimal modulation and the beam divergence is less than 1.5 times the diffraction limit.
The traditional and well proven Continuum three-graphite-rod resonator structure maintains the alignment of the key optical components and assures excellent stability of the laser cavity.
An optional BDN saturable absorber between the oscillator and amplifier increases the signal-to-noise ratio beyond 100:1 at 1064 nm.
Standard features include the MOSFET driven capacitor charging and all simmered flashlamp circuitry for long term reliability. The PY61 compact power supply conserves space by nestling conveniently under your optical bench or a table.

Optional harmonic generation and wavelength separation.
The PY60 Series' high peak power and low beam divergence combine to provide high conversion efficiencies in harmonic generation. Conversion efficiency is better than 50% for the second harmonic and better than 30% for the third harmonic.
KD*Perystals are used for harmonic generairon and dichronic mirrors perform the wavelength separation. Several different wavelength separation packages offer the user flexibility and selectivity of output beams.
You'll find the PY60 Series is a high performance, easy to use, economical and compact solid-state laser.

PY Series Specifications

 Model PY61-10 PY61-20 PY61C-10 PY61C-20
 Energy (mJ)(1)
    1064 nm
    532 nm
    355 nm
    266 nm
 Pulsewidth (psec)(2)
    1064 nm
 Energy (mJ)(3)
    1064 nm
    532 nm
    355 nm
    266 nm
 Pulsewidth (psec)(2)
    1064 nm
 Pulse Repetition Rate (Hz)
 Stability (%) rms
    1064 nm
    532 nm
 Beam Characteristics
    Diameter (mm)
    Divergence (mrad)(4)
 Contrast Ratio(5)
    1064 nm
    532 nm
 With BDN saturable absorber(6)
    1064 nm
    532 nm

  
30
15
5
3
  
40
  
25
10
4
2
  
25
10
  
5
7
  
6
0.4
  
40:1
250:1
  
100:1
1000:1

   
25
12
4
2
  
40
  
20
8
3
1.5
  
25
20
  
6
8
  
6
0.45
  
30:1
200:1
  
100:1
1000:1		   
75
35
15
8
  
40
  
50
25
10
5
  
25
10
  
5
7
  
9.5
0.4
  
40:1
250:1
  
100:1
1000:1		   
60
30
12
6
  
40
  
40
20
8
4
  
25
20
  
6
8
  
9.5
0.45
  
30:1
200:1
  
100:1
1000:1
 Jitter(7)
 Misfire Rate

± 10 µs
< 0.1%

 1. With Q-Switching #1 dye.
 2. Full Width Half Maximum.
 3. With Q-Switching #5 dye.
 4. Full angle 86% of energy.
 5. Peak-to-peak with respect to residual pulses.
 6. 50% energy reduction.
 7. With respect to external trigger.

 Specifications subject to change without notice.

  

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