Gre-Ne laser power
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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** The 543 helium-neon laser on our Leica SP2 is down in power by about 50% as measured at the stage. The Leica service person says we need a new laser. I have been told that these kinds of lasers either work or don’t work, but don’t tend to produce partial power as they age. We have had alignment issues in the past that have fixed low power problems, so I am guessing this is the real issue, but wanted to find out if it possible to have a laser of this sort to lose power with time? Dr. David Knecht Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology Core Microscopy Facility Director University of Connecticut 91 N. Eagleville Rd. Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 |
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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** I am by no means a laser expert, but according to the FSU website: "Progressive deterioration of the oxide coating on the cathode, which ultimately leads to sputtering of aluminum, is the limiting factor in helium-neon laser operating life. Large-diameter discharge tubes typically have longer life spans than smaller tubes (40,000 hours versus about 10,000 hours, respectively)." In our facility we have two 543 HeNe lasers that are both 8 years old. One has appreciably diminished in intensity, while the other is still near 100% output, although this more than likely simply correlates to time used, since the diminished one is on a microscope that used to be in a core facility, and the bright one is on a microscope that used to be in an individual's lab, that we inherited. From what I've read on other sites, HeNe tubes fade almost exclusively as a function of time used, rather than the age of the laser, such that a barely used older laser will be much brighter than an extensively used younger laser. Hope this helps, Ben Smith Benjamin E. Smith, Ph.D. Samuel Roberts Noble Microscopy Laboratory Research Scientist, Confocal Facility Manager University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019 E-mail: [hidden email] Voice 405-325-4391 FAX 405-325-7619 http://www.microscopy.ou.edu/ ________________________________________ From: Confocal Microscopy List [[hidden email]] on behalf of Knecht, David [[hidden email]] Sent: Monday, March 09, 2015 8:38 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Gre-Ne laser power ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** The 543 helium-neon laser on our Leica SP2 is down in power by about 50% as measured at the stage. The Leica service person says we need a new laser. I have been told that these kinds of lasers either work or don’t work, but don’t tend to produce partial power as they age. We have had alignment issues in the past that have fixed low power problems, so I am guessing this is the real issue, but wanted to find out if it possible to have a laser of this sort to lose power with time? Dr. David Knecht Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology Core Microscopy Facility Director University of Connecticut 91 N. Eagleville Rd. Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 |
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In reply to this post by Knecht, David
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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** Hi David, Again I am not a laser expert. However, from experience using green and red HeNe lasers for over 20 years, I have never seen a laser decrease in power over time. (Maybe I was just lucky.) However, I have had lasers just die, but it is usually the power supply that fails. What is much more common is realignment being needed, particularly in optical fibre based systems like the SP2. If the same fibre is used for other more powerful laser lines as well, perhaps the fibre has degraded and needs replacing (or has been damaged). Certainly though, on the SP2, check the laser launch alignment for all lines - you might be surprised. Hope this helps Paul Assoc. Prof. Paul Rigby Optical Microscopy Specialist Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis (M510) The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6007 Australia -----Original Message----- From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Knecht, David Sent: Monday, 9 March 2015 9:38 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Gre-Ne laser power ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** The 543 helium-neon laser on our Leica SP2 is down in power by about 50% as measured at the stage. The Leica service person says we need a new laser. I have been told that these kinds of lasers either work or don't work, but don't tend to produce partial power as they age. We have had alignment issues in the past that have fixed low power problems, so I am guessing this is the real issue, but wanted to find out if it possible to have a laser of this sort to lose power with time? Dr. David Knecht Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology Core Microscopy Facility Director University of Connecticut 91 N. Eagleville Rd. Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 |
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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** Hi Paul, David, I can heartily second this opinion. Our "laser fading" problems have all been "laser slipping out of alignment" problems - especially in the SP2, and especially now that it's entering veteran status. When the laser itself has gone, it's gone stone dead straight away. cheers, Rosemary Dr Rosemary White CSIRO Black Mountain GPO Box 1600 Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia T 61 2 6246 5475 E [hidden email] On 10/03/15 10:40 AM, "Paul Rigby" <[hidden email]> wrote: >***** >To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. >***** > >Hi David, >Again I am not a laser expert. However, from experience using green and >red HeNe lasers for over 20 years, I have never seen a laser decrease in >power over time. (Maybe I was just lucky.) However, I have had lasers >just die, but it is usually the power supply that fails. What is much >more common is realignment being needed, particularly in optical fibre >based systems like the SP2. If the same fibre is used for other more >powerful laser lines as well, perhaps the fibre has degraded and needs >replacing (or has been damaged). Certainly though, on the SP2, check the >laser launch alignment for all lines - you might be surprised. >Hope this helps >Paul > >Assoc. Prof. Paul Rigby >Optical Microscopy Specialist >Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis (M510) >The University of Western Australia >35 Stirling Highway >Crawley WA 6007 >Australia > >-----Original Message----- >From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] >On Behalf Of Knecht, David >Sent: Monday, 9 March 2015 9:38 PM >To: [hidden email] >Subject: Gre-Ne laser power > >***** >To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. >***** > >The 543 helium-neon laser on our Leica SP2 is down in power by about 50% >as measured at the stage. The Leica service person says we need a new >laser. I have been told that these kinds of lasers either work or don't >work, but don't tend to produce partial power as they age. We have had >alignment issues in the past that have fixed low power problems, so I am >guessing this is the real issue, but wanted to find out if it possible to >have a laser of this sort to lose power with time? > >Dr. David Knecht >Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology >Core Microscopy Facility Director >University of Connecticut >91 N. Eagleville Rd. >Storrs, CT 06269 >860-486-2200 |
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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** Hi Rosemary et al. We recently replaced an argon laser on SP5 and this did show a gradual decline but we have certainly experienced loss of power due to misalignment also. I have also heard from a colleague in Europe that their HeNe 540 has shown a gradual decline. Does anyone have experience of solid state laser failure ? A slow decline makes it easier to budget for replacement as you get some warning. Dr Lloyd Donaldson Microscopy & Wood Identification Senior Scientist - Plant Cell Walls & Biomaterials Scion - Forests, Products, Innovation 49 Sala Street, Rotorua 3010 New Zealand Ph 07 343 5581 www.scionresearch.com -----Original Message----- From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Tuesday, 10 March 2015 12:44 p.m. To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: Gre-Ne laser power ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. ***** Hi Paul, David, I can heartily second this opinion. Our "laser fading" problems have all been "laser slipping out of alignment" problems - especially in the SP2, and especially now that it's entering veteran status. When the laser itself has gone, it's gone stone dead straight away. cheers, Rosemary Dr Rosemary White CSIRO Black Mountain GPO Box 1600 Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia T 61 2 6246 5475 E [hidden email] On 10/03/15 10:40 AM, "Paul Rigby" <[hidden email]> wrote: >***** >To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. >***** > >Hi David, >Again I am not a laser expert. However, from experience using green and >red HeNe lasers for over 20 years, I have never seen a laser decrease >in power over time. (Maybe I was just lucky.) However, I have had >lasers just die, but it is usually the power supply that fails. What is >much more common is realignment being needed, particularly in optical >fibre based systems like the SP2. If the same fibre is used for other >more powerful laser lines as well, perhaps the fibre has degraded and >needs replacing (or has been damaged). Certainly though, on the SP2, >check the laser launch alignment for all lines - you might be surprised. >Hope this helps >Paul > >Assoc. Prof. Paul Rigby >Optical Microscopy Specialist >Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis (M510) The >University of Western Australia >35 Stirling Highway >Crawley WA 6007 >Australia > >-----Original Message----- >From: Confocal Microscopy List >[mailto:[hidden email]] >On Behalf Of Knecht, David >Sent: Monday, 9 March 2015 9:38 PM >To: [hidden email] >Subject: Gre-Ne laser power > >***** >To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting. >***** > >The 543 helium-neon laser on our Leica SP2 is down in power by about >50% as measured at the stage. The Leica service person says we need a >new laser. I have been told that these kinds of lasers either work or >don't work, but don't tend to produce partial power as they age. We >have had alignment issues in the past that have fixed low power >problems, so I am guessing this is the real issue, but wanted to find >out if it possible to have a laser of this sort to lose power with time? > >Dr. David Knecht >Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology Core Microscopy Facility >Director University of Connecticut >91 N. Eagleville Rd. >Storrs, CT 06269 >860-486-2200 This e-mail and any attachments may contain information which is confidential or subject to copyright. If you receive this e-mail in error, please delete it. Scion does not accept responsibility for anything in this e-mail which is not provided in the course of Scion's usual business or for any computer virus, data corruption, interference or delay arising from this e-mail. |
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