Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a chromatic spread angle of light diffracted at an acousto-optic element includes the acousto-optic element and a first and a second focusing optical unit. The acousto-optic element is disposed in a beam path of an incident light beam and is configured to generate the diffracted light from the incident light beam such that the diffracted light emanates from a virtual interaction point of the acousto-optic element. The first focusing optical unit is disposed in the beam path upstream of the acousto-optic element and the second focusing optical unit is disposed in the diffracted light such that a focus of the incident light beam is situated downstream of the first focusing optical unit in the acousto-optic element and the virtual interaction point is located in a front focus of the second focusing optical unit.

Abstract: A light source unit for an imaging device includes a beam extraction unit configured to receive broadband laser light, to direct at least a part of the broadband laser light having a first wavelength into an amplifier beam path, and to direct a residual laser light into a first illumination beam path. The light source unit further includes an optical amplifier unit arranged in the amplifier beam path and configured to generate amplified laser light having the first wavelength by amplifying the part of the broadband laser light, and a frequency changing unit arranged in the amplifier beam path and configured to generate laser light having a second wavelength from the amplified laser light having the first wavelength.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a volume grating configured to influence a beam direction of at least one light beam, and a switching device arranged in a beam path upstream of the volume grating. The switching device is configured to switch the beam direction and/or beam position of the at least one light beam from a first beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam does not impinge on the volume grating at an acceptance angle of the volume grating, to a second beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam impinges on the volume grating at the acceptance angle, and/or vice versa.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a chromatic spread angle of light diffracted at an acousto-optic element includes the acousto-optic element and a first and a second focusing optical unit. The acousto-optic element is disposed in a beam path of an incident light beam and is configured to generate the diffracted light from the incident light beam such that the diffracted light emanates from a virtual interaction point of the acousto-optic element. The first focusing optical unit is disposed in the beam path upstream of the acousto-optic element and the second focusing optical unit is disposed in the diffracted light such that a focus of the incident light beam is situated downstream of the first focusing optical unit in the acousto-optic element and the virtual interaction point is located in a front focus of the second focusing optical unit.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an intensity of a light beam in an optical arrangement includes passing the light beam through an acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF). The intensity of the light beam is adjusted as a function of frequency and/or amplitude of a sound wave with which the AOTF is operated. The amplitude of the sound wave at a specified sound wave frequency is selected such that the amplitude is larger than would be required to achieve a first maximum diffraction efficiency for a specified wavelength or for a specified wavelength spectrum of the light beam. The amplitude of the sound wave is also selected such that a value of an integral of a product of the transmission function of the AOTF and the wavelength spectrum of the light beam is larger than at a value of the amplitude to be selected to achieve the first maximum.

Abstract: A device for detecting light includes a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising a detection area formed from an array of a plurality of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). An optical system is configured to shape the light such that the detection area is covered as completely as possible with a light beam region of substantially constant intensity.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a volume grating configured to influence a beam direction of at least one light beam, and a switching device arranged in a beam path upstream of the volume grating. The switching device is configured to switch the beam direction and/or beam position of the at least one light beam from a first beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam does not impinge on the volume grating at an acceptance angle of the volume grating, to a second beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam impinges on the volume grating at the acceptance angle, and/or vice versa.

Abstract: An optical arrangement has an optical beam path for illuminating a sample space with a sequence of laser light pulses generated in a laser cycle, the optical arrangement. At least one laser light source is configured to generate the sequence of laser light pulses along the optical beam path. A wavelength-selective pulse picker is situated in the optical beam path and has, in a predefined illumination clock timing synchronizable with the laser light pulses, an open state in which the pulse picker is light-transparent to at least one laser light pulse towards the sample space. The open state has at least two different transmission states which differ with regard to their respective transmission spectrums, and wherein the two transmission states are switchable on and/or off independently of one another.

Abstract: A device (10) for illuminating a sample (40) is described, having: at least one pulsed laser light source (12) for repeated emission of a first laser pulse along a first light path (14) and of a second laser pulse along a second light path (16) physically separated from the first light path; a superimposition element (32) for collinear superimposition of the two laser pulses in a shared light path (34); a delay stage (26) arranged in the first or the second light path (14, 16), for delaying one of the two laser pulses relative to the other laser pulse in such a way that the two laser pulses sent along the shared light path (34) onto the sample (40) exhibit a temporal superimposition; a shared chirp unit (36) arranged in the shared light path (34), for frequency-modifying influencing both of the first laser pulse and of the second laser pulse; and at least one separate chirp unit (18) arranged in the first light path (14), for frequency-modifying influencing only of the first laser pulse.

Abstract: A device for detecting light includes a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising a detection area formed from an array of a plurality of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). An optical system is configured to shape the light such that the detection area is covered as completely as possible with a light beam region of substantially constant intensity.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an intensity of a light beam in an optical arrangement includes passing the light beam through an acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF). The intensity of the light beam is adjusted as a function of frequency and/or amplitude of a sound wave with which the AOTF is operated. The amplitude of the sound wave at a specified sound wave frequency is selected such that the amplitude is larger than would be required to achieve a first maximum diffraction efficiency for a specified wavelength or for a specified wavelength spectrum of the light beam. The amplitude of the sound wave is also selected such that a value of an integral of a product of the transmission function of the AOTF and the wavelength spectrum of the light beam is larger than at a value of the amplitude to be selected to achieve the first maximum.

Abstract: A device (10) for illuminating a sample (40) is described, having: at least one pulsed laser light source (12) for repeated emission of a first laser pulse along a first light path (14) and of a second laser pulse along a second light path (16) physically separated from the first light path; a superimposition element (32) for collinear superimposition of the two laser pulses in a shared light path (34); a delay stage (26) arranged in the first or the second light path (14, 16), for delaying one of the two laser pulses relative to the other laser pulse in such a way that the two laser pulses sent along the shared light path (34) onto the sample (40) exhibit a temporal superimposition; a shared chirp unit (36) arranged in the shared light path (34), for frequency-modifying influencing both of the first laser pulse and of the second laser pulse; and at least one separate chirp unit (18) arranged in the first light path (14), for frequency-modifying influencing only of the first laser pulse.