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Lightweight microscope
mt0704pg55-64.qxd
09/03/2004
12:15
Page 61
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES UPDATE
Adaptable cameras Klughammer GmbH’s digital microscope cameras are available at different resolutions in black and white or color. The cameras can be connected to a PC or laptop via USB, FireWire, or FrameGrabber connections. The cameras can be attached to c-mount phototubes. Alternatively, adapters are available that allow the cameras to be fitted to microscope eyepieces. This is particularly useful for old microscopes that have excellent optics but can’t be upgraded with a phototube. Contact: www.klughammer.de
Lightweight microscope A new portable digital microscope from Scalar Corp. weighs less than 400 g and is ideal for both laboratory and field applications. The DG-2A can be used as a microscope with up to 2000x magnification or as a digital camera. An integral lithium ion battery provides up to 1.5 hours of continuous viewing. The standard set of lenses covers magnifications from 25x to 200x, but highresolution lenses of 100x to 1000x are available. A 2x digital zoom feature is also included. The integral light source can be ultraviolet, visible, or infrared. Images of 2.3 megapixel can be viewed on the built-in display or stored on a memory card.
Hot new magnetic fridge The mF-ADR/250 is a new addition to Cambridge Magnetic Refrigeration’s mFridge range of adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADRs). It is capable of achieving 80 hours hold time at 250 mK with a typical base temperature of 230 mK. The ADR technology provides an alternative to cooling systems using He-3, making gas handling much simpler, as well as reducing cost, complexity, and maintenance. The new mFridge extends the ADR technology to higher temperatures. The existing mF-ADR/50 and mF-ADR/100 systems can achieve base temperatures below 50 mK and 100 mK, respectively. The mF-ADR/250 offers a large sample space and AC resistivity and AC susceptibility measurement options. There are also customized options for quantum computing and heavy fermion studies. Contact: www.cmr.uk.com
Microscope offers full automation
Software for LSM microscopes A new add-on software release for Carl Zeiss’ laser scanning microscopes improves measurement of the surface topography of materials. The Release 3.2 package for LSM 510 and LSM 5 PASCAL laser scanning systems offers noncontact surface profilometry of large sample areas using a StitchArt option. Roughness and waviness evaluations can also be performed to industrial standards. The software now offers more features for quantitative analysis of samples, including the application of filters, fit procedures, and thresholds to XZ line, XZ spline, and multiple profile scans.
Leica Microsystems have added a fully automated, high-end research microscope to their DigitalMicroscope series. The Leica DM6000 M for materials research integrates microscope, camera, and image processing software in one system. The microscope offers the maximum amount of automation and can be used with all common incident light methods. The incident light axis has a 4x reflector disk with two permanently mounted positions and two interchangeable positions for reflectors or fluorescence filter cubes. A touch-sensitive screen shows all settings and runs the motorized modules of the instrument. The Leica DM6000 M also comes with a SmartMove remote control for the motorized focus and stage, as well as four freely programmable buttons. The Leica IM1000 software stores images along with the microscope parameters. These can be reproduced later to enable exact comparisons of images.
Contact: www.zeiss.de
Contact: www.leica-microsystems.com
Contact: www.scalar.co.jp/e-pro.htm
Photonic fibers for lab applications Newport Corporation is launching a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) line, reflecting the growing interest in applications of these materials. The prepackaged PCFs, fabricated by Crystal Fiber A/S for Newport, are targeted at laboratory researchers. The initial product range includes hollow-core, singlemode, polarization-preserving, photonic band gap, and highly nonlinear fibers. Bare fibers as short as 1 m are available, as well as fibers with sealed ends or fitted connectors. Hollow-core fibers can carry very high laser power levels and are suitable for robotic materials processing, for example. PCFs containing arrays of tiny through-holes provide single-mode performance over a large wavelength range. Fibers with high nonlinear coefficients can generate ultra-broadband light when pumped with femtosecond pulsed lasers. Yb-doped PCFs are also available to form the basis of high-performance lasers or optical gain amplifiers. Contact: www.newport.com
Femtosecond laser gains reliability Eclipse™ is a high-power, femtosecond amplified laser from Spectra-Physics. It has applications in precision materials processing, as well as for experimental work in ultrafast research and nonlinear optics. The laser is based on ytterbium tungstate (Yb:KGW) rather than titanium:sapphire. Since Yb:KGW can be directly pumped by laser diodes, Eclipse is reliable, has a simple and rugged design, and a low cost of ownership. The laser has an output power of up to 4 W at 1048 nm. It operates at pulse repetition rates up to 7 kHz and generates pulse widths <500 fs. An optional frequency doubler module gives an output of 1.5 W at 524 nm. This wavelength is ideal for pumping one or more optical parametric amplifiers, giving a wide tunability of <325 nm to >10 µm for different applications. Contact: www.spectra-physics.com
April 2004
61
09/03/2004
12:15
Page 61
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES UPDATE
Adaptable cameras Klughammer GmbH’s digital microscope cameras are available at different resolutions in black and white or color. The cameras can be connected to a PC or laptop via USB, FireWire, or FrameGrabber connections. The cameras can be attached to c-mount phototubes. Alternatively, adapters are available that allow the cameras to be fitted to microscope eyepieces. This is particularly useful for old microscopes that have excellent optics but can’t be upgraded with a phototube. Contact: www.klughammer.de
Lightweight microscope A new portable digital microscope from Scalar Corp. weighs less than 400 g and is ideal for both laboratory and field applications. The DG-2A can be used as a microscope with up to 2000x magnification or as a digital camera. An integral lithium ion battery provides up to 1.5 hours of continuous viewing. The standard set of lenses covers magnifications from 25x to 200x, but highresolution lenses of 100x to 1000x are available. A 2x digital zoom feature is also included. The integral light source can be ultraviolet, visible, or infrared. Images of 2.3 megapixel can be viewed on the built-in display or stored on a memory card.
Hot new magnetic fridge The mF-ADR/250 is a new addition to Cambridge Magnetic Refrigeration’s mFridge range of adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADRs). It is capable of achieving 80 hours hold time at 250 mK with a typical base temperature of 230 mK. The ADR technology provides an alternative to cooling systems using He-3, making gas handling much simpler, as well as reducing cost, complexity, and maintenance. The new mFridge extends the ADR technology to higher temperatures. The existing mF-ADR/50 and mF-ADR/100 systems can achieve base temperatures below 50 mK and 100 mK, respectively. The mF-ADR/250 offers a large sample space and AC resistivity and AC susceptibility measurement options. There are also customized options for quantum computing and heavy fermion studies. Contact: www.cmr.uk.com
Microscope offers full automation
Software for LSM microscopes A new add-on software release for Carl Zeiss’ laser scanning microscopes improves measurement of the surface topography of materials. The Release 3.2 package for LSM 510 and LSM 5 PASCAL laser scanning systems offers noncontact surface profilometry of large sample areas using a StitchArt option. Roughness and waviness evaluations can also be performed to industrial standards. The software now offers more features for quantitative analysis of samples, including the application of filters, fit procedures, and thresholds to XZ line, XZ spline, and multiple profile scans.
Leica Microsystems have added a fully automated, high-end research microscope to their DigitalMicroscope series. The Leica DM6000 M for materials research integrates microscope, camera, and image processing software in one system. The microscope offers the maximum amount of automation and can be used with all common incident light methods. The incident light axis has a 4x reflector disk with two permanently mounted positions and two interchangeable positions for reflectors or fluorescence filter cubes. A touch-sensitive screen shows all settings and runs the motorized modules of the instrument. The Leica DM6000 M also comes with a SmartMove remote control for the motorized focus and stage, as well as four freely programmable buttons. The Leica IM1000 software stores images along with the microscope parameters. These can be reproduced later to enable exact comparisons of images.
Contact: www.zeiss.de
Contact: www.leica-microsystems.com
Contact: www.scalar.co.jp/e-pro.htm
Photonic fibers for lab applications Newport Corporation is launching a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) line, reflecting the growing interest in applications of these materials. The prepackaged PCFs, fabricated by Crystal Fiber A/S for Newport, are targeted at laboratory researchers. The initial product range includes hollow-core, singlemode, polarization-preserving, photonic band gap, and highly nonlinear fibers. Bare fibers as short as 1 m are available, as well as fibers with sealed ends or fitted connectors. Hollow-core fibers can carry very high laser power levels and are suitable for robotic materials processing, for example. PCFs containing arrays of tiny through-holes provide single-mode performance over a large wavelength range. Fibers with high nonlinear coefficients can generate ultra-broadband light when pumped with femtosecond pulsed lasers. Yb-doped PCFs are also available to form the basis of high-performance lasers or optical gain amplifiers. Contact: www.newport.com
Femtosecond laser gains reliability Eclipse™ is a high-power, femtosecond amplified laser from Spectra-Physics. It has applications in precision materials processing, as well as for experimental work in ultrafast research and nonlinear optics. The laser is based on ytterbium tungstate (Yb:KGW) rather than titanium:sapphire. Since Yb:KGW can be directly pumped by laser diodes, Eclipse is reliable, has a simple and rugged design, and a low cost of ownership. The laser has an output power of up to 4 W at 1048 nm. It operates at pulse repetition rates up to 7 kHz and generates pulse widths <500 fs. An optional frequency doubler module gives an output of 1.5 W at 524 nm. This wavelength is ideal for pumping one or more optical parametric amplifiers, giving a wide tunability of <325 nm to >10 µm for different applications. Contact: www.spectra-physics.com
April 2004
61