The Spectra-Physics Cyan™ 488 laser is a high performance, compact and highly reliable laser used for flow cytometry, wafer inspection, Raman spectroscopy, and more. It produces a high-quality optical beam at a wavelength of 488 nm with ultra low intensity noise and superior wavelength stability. The Cyan is available with output powers from 10 to 150 mW in a package that is only 125 x 70 x 34 mm (L x W x H) with typical power consumption of 6 W or less, far less than competing light sources.
The Cyan 488 laser architecture is based on a highly reliable telecom-grade diode laser in an external cavity configuration with a proprietary wavelength-locking scheme that ensures stable single-frequency operation at 488 nm and exceptional unit-to-unit wavelength consistency. With over one million hours of captive factory-based operation, the Cyan 488 laser has undergone the most extensive and rigorous reliability testing in the industry. The built-in reliability of the Cyan laser architecture means lower cost of ownership, less down time, and improved productivity for our customers.
- Ultra-low noise for superior signal data acquisition
- High reliability – multi-year field operational lifetime reduces instrument down time and service costs
- Exceptional wavelength stability and minimal instrument-to-instrument variability
- Single-frequency operation enables linewidth critical applications such as interferometry, holography and Raman spectroscopy
- Control inputs for analog and RS232 signals
- Available in either an easy-to-integrate OEM version or a CDRH compliant Scientific version for standalone operation
Long Life Cyan 488 nm Lasers
The Cyan 488 nm laser was designed up-front for an inherently long lifetime. A telecom-grade semiconductor laser source (run with ample headroom) and an especially efficient doubling method yield a 488 laser that easily exceeds 20,000 hours, the “average” that other manufacturers claim. Spectra-Physics put 39 lasers on long-term life testing and to-date has achieved over one million hours total operation on this captive population. The chart below shows how likely a Cyan 488 nm laser will continue to operate, meeting specification, for any given operating period. 94% of the lasers will blow past that “average” 20,000 hours. 82% will continue on to exceed 35,000 hours. As you can see, more than half will exceed 40,000 hours. If you are counting on uptime, move up to a Cyan 488 nm laser.
The longest lived 488 nm lasers on the market mean the lowest cost of ownership.
Rugged and Robust
After making 488 nm lasers for decades, we know how our customers use them. When we set our standards for what the Cyan 488 nm laser has to withstand, we added in a bit more safety factors than other manufacturers. With specifications that substantially exceed those of our competition, we tested to levels yet higher. From the table below, you can see why the Cyan 488 nm laser is the most robust 488 laser you can buy.
| Impact Shock |
| Specification |
25 G (11 msec duration) |
| Tested to |
100 G |
| Customer "inadvertent exposure" |
>200 G and laser met specifications |
| Vibration |
| Specification |
3 G (50–500 Hz sinusoidal, 0.25 octave/min) |
| Tested to |
6 G |
| Temperature |
| Specification |
Operating: 4°C to 40°C
Non-operating: -30°C to 70°C |
| Tested to |
Operating: 4°C to 40°C, 62 cycles
Non-operating: -40°C to 70°C, 50 cycles |
- Resistance to the most demanding conditions means the Cyan laser is best able to keep working for you.
