Do You Need an Excitation Filter with Your Laser?
Curious about whether you need an excitation filter with your laser?
The answer is yes! Chroma Technology recommends an excitation (laser clean-up) filter, and here’s why:
- Laser Emission Variability: Few lasers are truly monochromatic. Gas lasers often emit several discrete wavelengths, and the blocking provided by acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs) may not be enough to prevent laser noise in the emission channel.
- Laser Bandwidth: Many laser diodes have significant bandwidth and should be treated as broadband sources. This makes an excitation filter critical for optimal performance.
- Signal/Noise Ratio: Due to the intense nature of laser illumination, even relatively low levels of laser light can significantly affect the signal-to-noise ratio in fluorescence imaging.
Use an excitation filter to ensure the best results in your fluorescence images.
Find answers to this question and more on our Frequently Asked Questions page found in the Support section of the Chroma website.
About Chroma Technology
Chroma Technology is a leading manufacturer and OEM supplier of high performance optical filters used in a wide range of applications, including health care, biomedical research, remote sensing, machine vision, and aerospace. Chroma offers an extensive selection of optical filter sets and filter accessories, as well as custom solutions tailored to customer-specific needs.
For more information or a quotation for this or other Chroma products, contact IL Photonics.