Equipment and Laser Lab

Laser system

Excitation sources:

  • Tunable 225-2300nm Opolette 355LD UVDM pulsed laser with repetition rate of 20 Hz (Opotek Inc.)
  • FC-975 nm (CW) LASER, 2W (after fiber), power stability <1%, 400 μm silica fiber (metal cover), 2 m length, LCD display, TTL 1Hz-5kHz (CNI Lasers)
  • Continuous 980 nm diode-pumped solid-state laser (Dragonlasers, 2 W)

Detection:

  • QuantaMasterTM 40 spectrophotometer (Photon Technology International) with R928 (200 – 900 nm), R5108 (400 – 1200 nm) and H10330C-75 (950 – 1700 nm) photomultipliers as a detectors (from Hamamatsu)
  • PIXIS:256E Digital CCD Camera equipped with SP-2156 Imaging Spectrograph (Princeton Instruments)

Other elements:

  • Barium sulfate-coated integrating sphere with 80 mm diameter (Photon Technology International)
  • 10A-PPS sensor measures laser beam size and position as well as power and energy (Ophir)
  • Laser energy sensor – EnergyMax-USB J-10MB-HE Energy Sensor (Coherent)
  • Laser power sensor – S305C Compact Thermal Power Sensor, Surface Absorber, 0.19 – 25 µm, 5 W (Thorlabs)
  • E-Series UV Lamp, ENF-260C/FE, dual wavelength with LONGLIFETM filter assembly (FA), long wave (UV-A, 365 nm), short wave (UV-C, 254 nm)

Spectrometer with CCD camera

  • Spectrometer Shamrock 500; with dual exitports; Focal length: 500 mm; Aperture: F/6,5; 3 diffraction gratings 300 l/mm – blaze 500 nm, 1200 l/mm – blaze 500 nm and 300 l/mm – blaze 1200 nm
  • Silicon detector – Open Electrode iDus 420 CCD camera with 1024 x 255 pixels, 26 µm, 200-1100 nm spectral range
  • Near-Infrared (NIR) Emission Detector – Andor iDus InGaAs 1.7µm CCD Camera (600–1700 nm)
  • Nominal dispersion of 1.44 nm/mm, spectral resolution 0.07 nm (at slit size of 20 µm width)

Advanced Optical Vacuum Cryostat LN1200 for Optical Spectroscopy, allowing smooth regulation of pressure, temperature, and gas type, with a HiCube 80 Eco pump system

The vacuum system consists of a vacuum chamber coupled with a cryostat (LN1200), a set of pumps (including a turbomolecular pump), automatic valves enabling pressure and gas composition control, as well as digital dual-range pressure sensors (CMR361 and CMR364). The system provides smooth and precise regulation of reduced pressure (partial vacuum) in the cryostat chamber. It allows dynamic adjustment of vacuum conditions in the range from 1 to at least 10⁻⁶ bar.

The cryostat’s vacuum chamber is equipped with quartz windows transparent in the UV-Vis-NIR range, enabling direct excitation of the sample and luminescence signal detection from a 61×51 mm sample area. The integrated cryostat ensures precise temperature control over a wide range, from cryogenic values to high temperatures (77–500 K), allowing experiments to be conducted under strictly controlled physical conditions, such as temperature and low pressure.

Additionally, the system is designed to operate with various gases, including pure oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and methane. This enables the analysis of the influence of different gaseous environments on the kinetics of heating and cooling processes induced by electromagnetic radiation in optically active samples.

Linkam THMS600 Temperature-Controlled Chamber System (Heating-Cooling Stage) with Accessories

The heating-cooling chamber enables the correlation of spectroscopic parameters, obtained from luminescence signals (including emission spectra and luminescence lifetimes), with the temperature of the studied system. The Linkam system allows for precise measurements over a wide temperature range (77–873 K) for solid-state samples.

The stage supports isothermal measurements with ±1 K stability and programmable temperature changes from 1 to 130 K/min. The system ensures automatic temperature regulation and stabilization, providing high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision in both controlled thermal conditions and spectroscopic measurements.

CNI multiwavelength 2W CW laser with function generator

  • CW diode laser with 808, 975, 1208 and 1532 nm wavelenghts (2 watts)
  • Possibility of multiwavelength excitation
  • Equipped with Gwinstek function generator (Hz to MHz)

NIR LASER 975 nm – Continuous wave (CW) solid state diode pumped (SSDP)

  • FC-PC 975 nm (CW) LASER, 2W (after fiber), power stability <1%, 200/400 μm silica fiber (metal cover), 2 m length, LCD display, TTL 1Hz-5kHz (possibility of coupling with pulse generator)
  • Company: CNI

UV LASER 375 nm – Continuous wave (CW) solid state diode pumped (SSDP) laser

  • FC-PC 375 nm (CW) LASER, 50 mW, power stability <1%, TTL 1Hz-5kHz (possibility of coupling with pulse generator)
  • Company: CNI

Deuterium lamp (with halogen light source)

  • Fibre-coupled deuterium-halogen light source, with TTL shutter
  • Spectral ranges: 190-400 nm (for deuterium lamp); 360-2500 nm (for halogen lamp)
  • Lamp power: 78W / 0.75A (deuterium)
  • Lamp lifetime: 2000 hrs (deuterium)
  • Optical power at 1000 µm fiber: 206 µW
  • Power supply: 100-240VAC 50/60 Hz
  • Dimensions: 315 x 165 x 140 mm, ca. 5 kg
  • Company: Avantes

Xenon Lamp with Illuminator and Monochromator (Optel)

The system uses a high-power UV-Vis light source (XBO 450W xenon arc lamp). A lens enables the generation of focused excitation light. The built-in monochromator (MO 250, with a 600 lines/300 nm grating) allows precise selection of the desired excitation wavelength.

The independent system enables easy positioning, smooth adjustment, and coupling with high-pressure chambers, the vacuum system, and the heating-cooling stage.

Mixed Domain Oscilloscope – 200 MHz – Tektronix MDO3022

  • 2 analog channels
  • 200 MHz bandwidth models
  • Bandwidth is upgradable (up to 1 GHz)
  • Up to 5 GS/s sample rate
  • 10 M record length on all channels
  • >280,000 wfm/s maximum waveform capture rate

Fluorescence Spectrophotometer Hitachi F-7000

  • A compact system used in luminescence measurements of the emission and excitation spectra and lifetimes for both solid and liquid samples at room and liquid nitrogen (-196 oC) temperature
  • Light source – 150 W xenon lamp, self-deozonating lamp house
  • Measuring wavelength range (on both EX and EM) – 200 to 900 nm, and zero-order light
  • Wavelength scan speed – 30, 60, 240, 1,200, 2,400, 12,000, 30,000, 60,000 nm/min

FT/IR-4200 FT-IR Spectrometer

  • Measurement of the spectra in the IR range in order to determine structure of the compounds prepared in the form of pellets.
  • Standard wavenumber measurement range: 7,800 to 350 cm-1
  • Maximum resolution: 0.5 cm-1
  • S/N ratio: 30,000 : 1
  • Light source: High-intensity ceramic source

UV-Vis/NIR spectrophotometer JASCO V-770

  • Wavelength Range: 190 – 2700 nm 
  • Detection system: PMT detector for UV-Vis region and a Peltier-cooled PbS detector for NIR region
  • Measurement mode: transmission (liquids in a cuvette) and reflection (solids in an integrating sphere)
  • Accessories: Integrating Sphere – 150 mm size, UV-Vis-NIR range
  • Allows measurements of turbid liquids and solids in diffuse transmittance or reflectance mode

Zetasizer Nano ZS

The Zetasizer Nano ZS is a high performance two angle particle and molecular size analyzer for the enhanced detection of aggregates and measurement of small or dilute samples, and samples at very low or high concentration using dynamic light scattering with ‘NIBS’ optics. The ZSP also incorporates a zeta potential analyzer that uses electrophoretic light scattering for particles, molecules and surfaces, and a molecular weight analyzer using static light scattering.

  • Parameters measured: Particle and molecule size, translational diffusion, electrophoretic mobility, zeta potential of particles at high and low concentrations, viscosity and viscoelasticity of protein and polymer solutions, concentration, MW, A2, kD.
  • Size measurement from 0.3nm (diameter) to 10 microns using patented NIBS (Non-Invasive Back Scatter) technology.
  • Molecular weight measurement down to 980Da.
  • Sample concentrations from 0.1ppm to 40%w/v.
  • Automation of measurements using an autotitrator option
  • Alternative laser, 50mW at 532nm for samples incompatible with the standard 633nm laser.
  • Optical filter option to improve measurements with fluorescent sample.
  • Temperature range extension option to 120 ̊C.

Upcon® plate reader

Upcon® is a first-of-a-kind complete solution for low-background applications utilizing upconversion technology. Upcon’s bright and photostable upconverting nanoparticles (UCNP) enable higher assay sensitivity and a lower detection limit for your lateral flow-based assays. Particles enable detection even through tissue and in whole blood, measurement without photobleaching or self-quenching, measurement without autofluorescence, and bright luminescence with discrete emission bands. Upcon is applicable to quantitative lateral flow tests, bioaffinity assays, microscopy, and imaging. Improved performance has specifically been addressed for lateral flow-based assays. Our plate rader is equipped with 975 nm laser and filters for detectig Er3+ luminescence at 545 and 660 nm.