New High-Power, Short-Pulse, Solid-State Laser In IR, Green & UV

The new Flare NX is an ultra-compact, pulsed laser from Coherent, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) that enables applications such as Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization – Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) analytical measurements, laser microdissection, and laser induced fluorescence with higher speed and higher process quality.  The Flare NX is a series of diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) pulsed lasers with a choice of 1030 nm, 515 nm and 343 nm outputs. The lasers combine high pulse energies (> 500 µJ at 1030 nm, > 300 µJ at 515 nm, > 100 µJ at 343 nm), excellent beam quality (M²<1.2) and short pulsewidth (~1 ns).  Other lasers provide a maximum of two of these features on an either/or basis.  The short pulsewidth of Flare NX delivers increased temporal resolution in some applications (i.e., superior mass resolution in MALDI-TOF).  The high pulse energy leads to improved signal-to-noise data, requiring fewer pulses per measurement.  Plus the high beam quality yields higher spatial resolution in microscopy-type applications.

MALDI-TOF is a type of mass spectrometry widely used e.g. in life sciences to study large molecules such as proteins and viruses.  Traditionally, MALDI-TOF was performed at low repetition rates (up to 100 Hz) using legacy nitrogen lasers.  The latest MALDI-TOF instrumentation supports speeds up to 2 kHz for faster data acquisition, far beyond the capabilities of nitrogen lasers.  The new Flare NX laser matches this speed requirement while delivering spatial resolution and superior mass resolution.  The easy integration of the Flare NX also reduces the cost of MALDI-TOF measurements; with a useable lifetime in excess of 2 gigapulses, it provides a much lower cost per pulse than a nitrogen laser.

Another application for Flare NX is laser microdissection: the dissection of specific tissue sections and individual cells under visual control using a microscope.  This application will benefit from the high pulse frequencies, pulse energies, and the excellent beam quality of the Flare NX, resulting in higher process speed and improved dissection quality.

Founded in 1966, Coherent, Inc. is a world leader in providing photonics based solutions to the commercial and scientific research markets, and is part of the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and the Russell 2000.  Please direct any questions regarding this press release to Volker Pfeufer, product line manager, at +49 (0) 451 3000 300.  For more information about Coherent, including product and financial updates, visit our website at http://www.Coherent.com.