pulseCheck NX Modular Autocorrelator

Pulse Measurement
Perfection with theMultitalent from APE

The pulseCheck platform grows with your tasks. Suitable forcharacterizing virtually all ultrafast pulsed lasers, APE's pulseCheck
autocorrelator covers a wide range of wavelengths and pulse widths.
This flexibility is achieved by using interchangeable Optics Sets,
typically consisting of a nonlinear crystal and a dedicated detector
module.

▪ Exchangeable Optics Sets for wavelength coverage from 200 nm to 12 µm▪ Wide range of sensitivity levels covered with PMT, PD, and TPA▪ High temporal resolution with a sampling resolution down to 50 attoseconds▪ Toggle between interferometric and intensity autocorrelation▪ Integrated controller for data acquisition, data fitting, and fast FPGA data processing▪ Software supported wavelength tuning of crystal (phase matching)▪ Fully compliant with DIN 58175-2:2021-04 (autocorrelation measurement methods)▪ NX-Software and USB as well as Ethernet connection▪ TCP/IP remote control with standardized command set for easy programming▪ Option: FROG for complete pulse characterization
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pulseCheck NX OverviewpulseCheck

NX 50

NX 150

SM 2000

Pulse width

5 fs … 15 ps

10 fs … 40 ps

20 fs … 500 ps

Wavelength range

200 nm … 12
dependingonµm
Optics Set

Recommended repetition rate

PD, TPA:
PMT:>250>10kHzHz, for UV only: <2 MHz

Sensitivity*, typical1 W² … 10-6onW²
depending
Optics Set

Max. input power, energy

0.5forkHz
quasi-cw
5µJWforlaser laser

Input beam polarization

Linear, horizontal
polarization
rotator optional

Input beam coupling

Free-spacewith6 mmor
aperture
fibercoupling(FC/PCFC/APC) optional

Input beam height

76 mm

Measurement refresh rate

10 Hz

7.5 Hz120 ps/sec

Delay resolution

50 attoseconds

200 attoseconds

1 femtosecond

Contrast

10-4Type of measurement mode

PMT, hybrid
PD: non-collinear
intensity and collinear interferometric - switchable
TPA:
collinear intensity

Available detector types

Exchangeable:
Photomultiplier
Two-Photon
Absorption(TPA) (PMT), Photodiode (PD) andCalibration

NIST traceable calibration certificate included

Electronics

Completely intergrated and self-sustained

Trigger mode

TTL <50 kHz

TTL <10 kHz

Phase matching

Automatic

Software-supportedIntensity resolution

18 bitConnectivity

Ethernet, USB, TCP/IP (SCPI command set)

Remote control

Programmable via API* The sensitivity can be calculated as (Paverage * Ppeak) = (Paverage² / (frep.rate * τpulse duration)) = W². The resulting value of W² must be higher
than the specification.
Note: Sensitivity gives an approximation within an order of magnitude as it doesn't take into account other factors such as beam
parameters and pulse quality.

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... Flexibility for your Experiments

High Resolution &Strong Processing
Performance

The advanced system-on-chip based architecture enables measurements with low latency, a high time resolution down to 50 attoseconds
and an intensity dynamic range of 18 bit. This allows full access toeven the tiniest autocorrelation features.

Maximum Functionality
through Modular Design

APE meets the growing need for maximum functionality and flexibility
with the modular concept on which the pulseCheck autocorrelator
series is based. Thus, Optics Sets to upgrade the wavelength range or
FROG capability can be added at any time.

From Ultrashort toLonger Pulses

Various pulseCheck configurations can be adapted to the individual
needs of pulse width measurements. The measurement of extra longpulse widths up to 500 ps is possible with pulseCheck SM.

Pulse Width Measurement Range▪ pulseCheck NX 50t

5 fs

100 fs1 ps

8500 ps

10 fs ... 40 ps▪ pulseCheck SM 2000

Software GUI for pulseCheck NX

100 ps

5 fs ... 15 ps▪ pulseCheck NX 150

High Sensitivity and Low
Noise with Three Typesof Detectors

10 ps

20 fs ... 500 ps▪ Photodiode Detector (PD)▪ Photomultiplier (PMT)		
▪ Two-Photon Absorption (TPA)

Standard sensitivity up to 1 W2Highest sensitivity up to 10-6 W2High sensitivity up to 10-2 W2pulseCheck NX

Optics Sets

A variety of different and exchangeable Optics Sets cover a widewavelength range: from UV at 200 nm to Mid-IR at 12 µm.

Photodiode (PD)▪ Typ. Sensitivity: 1 W2 ▪ Rep. Rate: > 10 Hz ▪ Measurement Mode: Collinear and Noncollinear
λ[nm]CROSS 2CROSS 1

VIS 1

200-320* 360-450* 420-550

VIS 2

540-750NIRIRExt. IR700-1200 1100-2000 1800-3200

MIR 13000-5200

Photomultiplier (PMT)▪ Typ. Sensitivity: up to 10-6 W2 ▪ Rep. Rate: > 250 kHz ▪ Measurement Mode: Collinear and Noncollinear
λ[nm]CROSS 2CROSS 1

VIS 1200-320* 360-450* 420-550

VIS 2540-750

NIR700-1100

IR1000-1600

Ext. IR

1500-2200**

Two Photon Absorption (TPA)▪ Typ. Sensitivity: < 0.1 W2 (NIR/IR) ▪ < 1 W2 (VIS) ▪ < 100 W2 (UV) ▪ Rep. Rate: > 10 Hz ▪ Measurement Mode: Collinear Intensity
λ[nm]												

UV250-400

VIS400-700

NIR700-1250

IR1250-2100

Ext. IR

2000-3200

MIR 13000-5200

λ[µm]MIR 25-8

MIR 37-12* For cross-correlation: wavelength range depends on pump wavelength** For the wavelength range 1500 ... 2200 nm we recommend to use the highly sensitive IR detector "Extended IR PD SELECTED"

9FROG

Complete Pulse
Characterization withpulseCheck NX andFROG Option

Second harmonic generation FROG is the most popular spectrometerless Frequency Resolved Optical Gating method. The pulseCheck
autocorrelators by APE optionally integrate FROG, giving accessto complete pulse characterization. This option opens the door tocomplete spectral and temporal pulse characterization.

Crystal Module
FROG Setup:
1. Crystal module within pulseCheck
2. Replacement focus mirror
3. FROG software upgrade

VIS I

420-550

VIS II

550-700

NIR700-900

IR IIR II

900-1200 1200-1600

Ext. IR I

1800-2200

Different crystal modules for various wavelength ranges.

▪ Complete spectral and temporal pulse characterization▪ Different crystal modules available to cover wavelengths from 420 ... 2200 nm▪ FROG trace data processing and visualization with included software▪ Pulse width ranges from as low as 20 fs up to 6 ps
▪ High spectral resolution up to 0.1 nm▪ Available for the pulseCheck NX autocorrelator** Required laser rep. rate >10 kHz

10... FROG Pulse Characterization Software

FROG Trace

The software provides laser pulse intensity as a function of time andfrequency (wavelength). Results are visualized in the form of a FROG
trace diagram as well as pulse shape and spectrum.
It is a matter of seconds to automatically find the required phasematching tuning angle - thanks to the automated phase matchingroutine by pulseCheck NX.

Wavelength and Pulse
Width Coverage

Various crystals guarantee coverage of wavelengths from 420 nm up
to 2200 nm and pulse widths from 20 fs to 6 ps (numbers given for
Fourier transform limited pulses). High spectral resolution down to0.1 nm are supported.
The FROG option is designed for laser repetition rates above 10 kHz
and is available for the pulseCheck NX autocorrelator series (exceptfor pulseCheck SM 2000).

Software GUI FROG for
pulseCheck NX

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FROG Crystals

FROG crystals

Wavelength range

Pulse
range width

Required spectral bandwidth

Spectral measurement
resolution

VIS-I-200

420 nm … 550 nm>200 fs>1 nm

0.1 nmVIS-I-50

420 nm … 550 nm

50 fs … 200 fs>3 nm

0.3 nmVIS-I-20

420 nm … 550 nm

20 fs … 70 fs>10 nm

1.0 nmVIS-II-150

550 nm … 700 nm>150 fs>1 nm

0.1 nmVIS-II-50

550 nm … 700 nm

50 fs … 200 fs>3 nm

0.3 nmVIS-II-20

550 nm … 700 nm

20 fs … 60 fs>20 nm2.0 nm

NIR-200

700 nm … 900 nm>200 fs>1 nm

0.1 nm

NIR-50700 nm … 900 nm

50 fs … 500 fs>2 nm

0.2 nm

NIR-20700 nm … 900 nm

20 fs … 50 fs>30 nm3.0 nm

IR-I-150

900 nm … 1200 nm>150 fs>2 nm

0.2 nm

IR-I-60

900 nm … 1200 nm60 fs … 200 fs>10 nm

1.0 nm

IR-I-30900 nm … 1200 nm

30 fs … 60 fs>50 nm

5.0 nm

IR-II-100

1200 nm … 1600 nm>100 fs>5 nm

0.5 nm

IR-II-50

1200 nm … 1600 nm

50 fs … 100 fs>20 nm2.0 nm

IR-II-30

1200 nm … 1600 nm

30 fs … 50 fs>90 nm9.0 nmExt. IR-I-50

1800 nm … 2200 nm>50 fs>190 nm

19 nm

www.phototechnica.co.jp〒336-0017 埼玉県さいたま市南区南浦和 1-2-17

TEL:048-871-0067 FAX:048-871-0068

e-mail:voc@phototechnica.co.jp
A FROG crystal is suitable if the "Pulse width range" matches or, if the actual spectral bandwidth of the laser is wider than the "Required
spectral bandwidth".

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pulseCheck SM 2000
Long-Range Autocorrelator

Pulse WidthMeasurement
up to 500 ps

With the revised version of the long-range delay technology inpulseCheck SM, the new autocorrelator offers a scanning range up tothree times larger and a measuring speed up to five times faster thanthe previous long-range models. The pulseCheck SM includes a highperformance controller that is integrated into the device.
The pulseCheck SM is suitable for particularly long pulse widths ofup to 500 ps. At the other end, short pulses down to 20 fs widths canbe measured. A resolution of 1 fs and a sampling rate of 1 MHz isavailable over the entire measurement range.

▪ Pulse widths from 20 fs up to 500 ps▪ Optics Sets from 200 nm to 12 µm▪ Measurement speed of 120 ps/sec▪ Integrated high performance controller▪ Toggle between interferometric and intensity autocorrelation▪ Wide range of sensitivity levels covered with PMT, PD, and TPA▪ USB & Ethernet connectivity and TCP/IP remote control▪ Gaussian, Sech , and Lorentzian fitting routines▪ NIST traceable calibration213

pulseCheck SM Type 2
High Dynamic Range Autocorrelator for High Contrast

Revealing Pre- & Postpulses, Pedestals,Satellites

High contrast measurements with the Autocorrelator pulseCheck Type2 provide information about how far in time and intensity the main
pulse is accompanied by pre-pulses, post-pulses and pedestals.
With a high dynamic range of 107, pulseCheck SM Type 2 is ideallysuited for the characterization of high intensity, high repetition ratelaser pulses, such as those in material processing or in ultra-highintensity light-matter interaction experiments.

Figure: SM Type 2 high contrast autocorrelation measurement of an industrial femtosecond fiber
laser with a nominal pulse width of ~ 280 fs (please note the ps scale of the measurement).
Measurement conditions: ~1030 nm, 35 mW, 1 MHz▪ Measuring intense pulses and their pre-pulses, post-pulses, pedestals▪ High dynamic range measurements▪ Ultra-precise delay resolution▪ Automatic phase matching▪ NIST traceable calibration▪ Ready to use software and USB interface▪ TCP/IP remote control with standardized command set for easy programming14

pulseCheck SM Type 2 High Contrast Specification

pulseCheck

SM Type 2

Pulse width<100 fs … 400 ps

Wavelength range

700 nm … 1100 nm

Recommended repetition rate

>10 HzMax. input
power,
pulse
energy0.5
forkHzquasi-cw
5µJWforlaser laser

Input beam polarization

Linear, any

Input beam coupling

Free-space with 6 mm aperture

Input beam height

76 mm

Measurement refresh rate

120 ps/sec on scan range
depending

Delay resolution

1 fsfsnormal
operation
25
high contrast
operation

Contrast

Depending on laser repeption rate: 10-7 for >100 kHz, 10-6 for >10 Hz

Type of measurement mode

Non-collinear intensity and collinear interferometric - switchable

Available detector types

Photodiode (PD) with fixed wavelength range

Calibration

NIST traceable calibration certificate included

Trigger mode

TTL <100 kHz

Phase matching

Software-supported

Intensity resolution

18 bitConnectivity

Ethernet, USB, TCP/IP (SCPI command set)

Remote control

Programmable via API

www.phototechnica.co.jp〒336-0017 埼玉県さいたま市南区南浦和 1-2-17

TEL:048-871-0067 FAX:048-871-0068

e-mail:voc@phototechnica.co.jp

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