picoEmerald
Tunable Microscopy & Spectroscopy
Two-Colorps Light Source1picoEmerald Two Colors in One Box
Microscopy and Spectroscopy with a Tunable Two-Color Source
CARS and SRS microscopy have migrated from physics labs to life-science labs, so APE has responded withan easy-to-use and truly hands-off light source: picoEmerald.
In a single-box, picoEmerald provides fully automated temporal- and spatial-overlapping ultra-short pulse
trains: 1032 nm from the laser oscillator, plus the OPO Signal beam, and OPO Idler beam.

Two-color turn-key system ideal for stimulated Raman microscopy up to video-rate speed
Perfect temporal and spatial overlap of exit beams
Tunable between 700 ... 1950 nm
400 ... 9000 cm-1 Energy difference
2 ps pulses with 10 cm-1 spectral width
Completely automated and fully computer controlled
Extremely low-noise compared to all-fiber laser systems
Compatible with commercial microscopes and home-built setups
Actively and passively stabilized, ideal for long time experiments2

picoEmerald Applications
Application Examples
Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS)
Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy (SRS)
Second Harmonics Imaging (SHG)
Pump-Probe Spectroscopy
SRS Microscopy of Vibrational Probes
Surface Enhanced Hyper Raman Spectroscopy (SEHRS)

Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS)CARS microscopic imaging creates high imaging contrast without labeling. The technology involves twolaser beams. CARS is sensitive to the vibrational modes of samples and visualizes the vibrational contrastof molecules. The samples, even living objects, remain almost unaffected.

Image Courtesy: Sang-Won Lee & Joo Hyun Park.
Multimodal nonlinear microscopic images incl. TPEF, SHG, CARS and merged image.

Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy (SRS)SRS microscopy is facilitated via the picoEmerald system in combination with APE’s inbuilt EOM (ElectroOptic Modulator). SRS microscopy provides almost background-free imaging contrast. It also allows simple
spectroscopic identification of the samples' fingerprint region based on Raman spectra databases. Very
short integration times allow imaging with video-rates.

Image Courtesy: Wei Min and Lu Wei.
Live-cell bioorthogonal chemical imaging with Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy.

3picoEmerald Turn-Key
Turning Complexity into a Turn-Key System
The light source is the most crucial and complex component of a coherent Raman microscopy system.
Proper setup and calibration are essential for accurate and reproducible imaging. picoEmerald is a turnkey system combining user-friendly automation features and the utility of open-architecture light sourcesin a single box.

Excitation of coherent Raman microscopy requires two laser wavelengths, one of which must be tunable.
The u1032 nm beam (2 ps Stokes beam) is generated at 80 MHz repetition rate. The pump beam isprovided by the incorporated vOPO and is tunable from 700 to 990 nm and 1080 ... 1950 nm. The spatial
and temporal overlapping of the Stokes and pump beams are achieved via dichroic mirrors and a wdelay
stage inside the picoEmerald. The xsensors and the integrated beam management for the temporal andspatial overlap, and a yhigh resolution spectrometer secure the proper system calibration.

u4v

w

xyj

picoEmerald
Setup and Use with Microscopes
By integrating CARS/SRS technology into Leica’s confocal SP5/SP8 microscopy system, Leica Microsystems
has tightly integrated the picoEmerald into their LAS AF system software. Similary tight software
integration is also available with Thorlabs' multi-photon microscopes.
Software integration into other third-party microscopes or home-built setups is also supported. Ethernet
TCP/IP and serial RS232 interfaces are available with picoEmerald for this purpose.
APE’s user-friendly automation combined with a graphical user interface (GUI) also makes it convenientwhen using picoEmerald and microscope as independent instruments, without the need for software
integration.

Compatibility (Examples)
Leica SP-SeriesOlympus FV-Series
Nikon Ti-U Platform
Thorlabs Multiphoton
Zeiss LSM-Series
HoribaHome-built setups
picoEmerald is compatible with nearly all popular confocal microscope systems. The current
publication list names at least those configurations mentioned above.

Additional Features
Automated optical delay management to compensation for microscope dispersion
Wavelength scan / sweep function for fast spectra acquisition
Independent power control for 1032 nm beam and Signal beam
Remote-service via LAN interface
Optional: Wavelength extension from 210 nm - 10 µm(Realized by SHG, THG, FHG, or DFG; e.g. APE's HarmoniXX)5

picoEmerald Speciﬁcations
Main Parameters
Type of Source

Automated picosecond (narrow-band) tunable light source

Wavelength 1 1032 nm Beam

1032 ± 1.5 nm

Wavelength 2 OPO Signal

700 ... 990 nm

Wavelength 3 OPO Idler

1080 ... 1950 nm

Power 1 1032 nm Beam

> 700 mW (customized versions on request)

Power 2 OPO Signal> 700 mW at 800 nm

Power 3 OPO Idler> 400 mW at 1250 nm∆ν OPO Signal - OPO Idler

800 ... 9000 cm-1

∆ν OPO Signal - Fundamental

400 ... 4500 cm-1

Pulse Width

2 ps (others on request)

Repetition Rate

80 MHzSpectral Bandwidth Signal, 1032 nm beam

10 cm-1

Beam
Beam Diagnostics

Integrated for Signal Wavelength, Power, Bandwidth, Beam position, Temporal overlap

Pointing Stability< 100 µrad per 100 nm

M2< 1.2 (OPO Signal), typ. 1.2 (1032 nm beam)

Ellipticity< 10 %

Polarization

Linear; Horizontal > 100:1

Beam Divergence

1.0 (± 0.2) mrad (at 800 nm and 1032 nm)

Beam Waist Diameter

1.2 (± 0.2) mm at 800 nm; 1.7 (± 0.2) mm at 1032 nm

1000900

1200

1400

Idler Wavelength [nm]160018002000800Signal

700
600
500
400
300
200
1000650Idler-110-120-130

measured at 800 nm-140-150
Shot noise limit-160-170

700

750

800

850
900 950
1000
Signal Wavelength [nm]Typical Signal and Idler power vs. wavelength

6Rel. Intensity Noise [dBc/Hz]

Power [mW]

Diagrams

0.1

1

10Frequency [MHz]Relative intensity noise (RIN): Shot noise limited
OPO Signal output for frequencies > 10 MHz

... Speciﬁcations
Software
Software and Automation

Included

Wavelength Sweep Function

Start/End Function, User-defined Holding Time, Trigger Function, max. 2 nm step size,approx. 5 s per wavelength step

Remote Control

Possible via USB / Ethernet TCP/IP / Serial RS232

EOM Modulator (Optional)
Inbuild Modulator EOM

EOM with a resonant fixed frequency of 10 MHz (or 20 MHz) modulation frequency; Built
into picoEmerald

Dimensions and Power
Dimensions

picoEmerald: 945 mm x 360 mm x 470 mm, 98 kg (see drawing for details)
Panel PC: 234 mm x 41 mm x 128 mm, 2 kg
Laser Control Unit: 19 inch (4 U), 11 kg
Chiller: 197 mm x 330 mm x 279 mm, 10 kg

Power

100 ... 240 V, 50 ... 60 Hz, max. 600 W (Setup incl. PC)
100 ... 240 V, 50 ... 60 Hz, max. 600 W (Chiller)

121360Beam output

308.5470945

Beam output
DANGERLASER RADIATIONAVOID EYE OR SKIN EXPOSURE TO
DIRECT OR SCATTERED RADIATION
CLASS 4 LASER PRODUCT

7

Contact

Your local contact:

APE Angewandte Physik & Elektronik GmbH			
Plauener Str. 163-165|Haus N|13053 Berlin|Germany

www.phototechnica.co.jp

T: +49 30 986 011-30
F: +49 30 986 011-333〒336-0017 埼玉県さいたま市南区南浦和 1-2-17

E: sales@ape-berlin.de					e-mail:voc@phototechnica.co.jp

www.ape-berlin.deAPE follows a policy of continued product improvement.
Therefore, specifications are subject to change without notice.
© APE GmbH|December 2020 | Rev. 4.2.0.

8TEL:048-871-0067 FAX:048-871-0068