Coherent

Chameleon Ultra

Lab & Support Equipment Coherent Chameleon Ultra family

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Chameleon Ultra — Inventory photo — Fig. 01Chameleon UltraInventory photo^[1]

Power

>200 kW^[2]

Optics

4 W at 800 nm^[1]

What it is

The Coherent Chameleon Ultra is a tunable Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser system.^[3]^[2]

The Chameleon Ultra is used as a light source for multiphoton imaging and other ultrafast optical work.^[3]^[2]

How it works

The Chameleon Ultra includes automated tuning and alignment, active alignment for long-term stability, and a menu-driven graphical interface or RS-232 control.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The Chameleon Ultra uses an integrated precompensation design based on a prism approach to compensate dispersion in a compact package.^[4]

Where it fits in the process flow

The Chameleon Ultra sits upstream of multiphoton microscopes and related ultrafast optical experiments as the excitation source.^[2]^[3]

The Chameleon Ultra can also serve as a pump source for optical parametric oscillator wavelength extension.^[2]

Applications

The Chameleon Ultra is used for multiphoton excitation microscopy, non-linear optics, time-resolved spectroscopy, CARS and SRS microscopy, optogenetic photoactivation, second harmonic generation imaging, and pumping optical parametric oscillators.^[2]

The Chameleon Ultra is intended for deeper imaging, excitation of fluorescent probes, and ultrafast spectroscopy work.^[2]^[3]^[4]

What do the numbers mean?

Power & electrical5

Peak power: >200 kW^[2]
Repetition rate: 80 MHz^[2]
Operating voltage: 90 to 250 VAC (auto ranging)^[2]
Line frequency: 47 to 63 Hz^[2]
Weight of power supply: 41 kg (90 lbs.)^[2]

Optics & imaging11

Power: 4 W at 800 nm^[1]
Product type: Widely tunable, high power automated femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser^[2]
Tuning range: 690 to 1020 nm^[2]
Power at 690 nm: >500 mW^[2]
Power at 710 nm: >1.4 W^[2]
Power at 800 nm: >2.5 W^[2]
Power at 920 nm: >1.4 W^[2]
Power at 1020 nm: >450 mW^[2]
Tuning speed: >35 nm/s^[2]
Pointing: <0.5 μrad/nm^[2]
Weight of laser head: 42 kg (93 lbs.)^[2]

Dimensions & facilities1

Pulse width: 140 fs^[2]

Configuration & options14

For Multi-photon Imaging^[1]; Chiller included^[1]
Average power: >2.5 W^[2]
Noise: <0.15%^[2]
Output power stability: <±0.5%^[2]
Spatial mode: TEM00 (M2 <1.1)^[2]
Beam diameter: 1.2 ±0.2 mm^[2]
Beam ellipticity: 0.9 to 1.1^[2]
Astigmatism: <10%^[2]
Polarization: Horizontal >500:1^[2]
System power consumption: 2300 W max., 1300 W typical^[2]
Operating temperature range: 15 to 35°C (59 to 95°F)^[2]
Non-operating temperature range: 5 to 40°C (41 to 104°F)^[2]
Umbilical length: 3 m (9.84 ft.)^[2]

Vintage & configurations

Documented models & variants

Designation	Generation	Vintage	Changes	Source
Chameleon Ultra	—	—	—	coherent.com^[3]
Chameleon Ultra I	—	—	Average power >2.9 W; tuning range 690 to 1040 nm; peak power >250 kW.	new-www.mbl.edu^[2]
Chameleon Ultra II	—	—	Average power >3.5 W; tuning range 680 to 1080 nm; peak power >300 kW.	new-www.mbl.edu^[2]

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What does it need to run?

Site utility requirements, footprint, and infrastructure needed to install and operate this tool. Sourced from public records.

Peak power>200 kW^[2]
Repetition rate80 MHz^[2]
Operating voltage90 to 250 VAC (auto ranging)^[2]
Line frequency47 to 63 Hz^[2]
Weight of power supply41 kg (90 lbs.)^[2]

Where are the manuals?

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Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Frequently asked questions

What type of laser is the Chameleon Ultra?

The Chameleon Ultra is a tunable Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser system.^[3]^[2]

What is the tuning range of the Chameleon Ultra?

The Chameleon Ultra has a tuning range of 690 to 1020 nm.^[2]^[3]

What power does the Chameleon Ultra provide at 800 nm?

The Chameleon Ultra provides more than 2.5 W at 800 nm.^[2]^[3]

What control and operating features does the Chameleon Ultra include?

The Chameleon Ultra includes automated tuning and alignment, PowerTrack active alignment, a simple menu-driven GUI or RS-232 control, and extendable wavelength coverage with a Compact OPO.^[2]^[4]

What applications is the Chameleon Ultra used for?

Not publicly documented

The following facts about the Chameleon Ultra are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the Chameleon Ultra are on record.
Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement
The control-system platform and OS era of the Chameleon Ultra are not on record.
Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records
No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the Chameleon Ultra are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
The process node or technology generation of the Chameleon Ultra is not on record.
Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report
No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the Chameleon Ultra are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer

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Sources & citations

Sources (4)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources

[1]Inventory photo
[2]new-www.mbl.edu — new-www.mbl.edunew-www.mbl.edu
[3]coherent.com — coherent.comcoherent.com
[4]Coherent Chameleon Ultra Modelocked Ti:S Laser — Coherent Scientific — coherent.com.aucoherent.com.au