A new dual-wavelength laser from Coherent combines the industry's widest tuning range, highest power and shortest pulsewidth to enable cutting edge fluorescence detection techniques in non-linear microscopy. The primary output of this new laser, the Chameleon Discovery, is continuously tunable from 680 nm - 1300 nm, with short pulsewidth (100 fs) and power up to 1.4 Watts, while simultaneously providing 1.5 Watts of output at 1040 nm. Moreover, an internal and fully automated Group Velocity Dispersion (GVD) pre-compensator enables the shortest possible pulsewidth at the sample.

The wide tuning range, high power and short pulses of the primary output is ideal for optimum excitation of all popular fluorophores (inclusive of eGFP, YFP and all the red-shifted proteins). Just as important, Chameleon Discovery‘s secondary output at 1040 nm provides high power, short pulses (160 fs) and excellent beam parameters, truly enabling a new era of simultaneous, multi-wavelength excitation of multiple probes and/or photoactivation of opsins for optogenetics applications. These applications include optogenetic experiments based on established schemes using longer wavelength opsins like C1V1, as well as alternative wavelength pairings based on red-shifted calcium indicators of the GCaMP family currently under development. The availability of dual wavelength pulses that are phase-correlated makes Chameleon Discovery also a perfect source for techniques like CARS and SRS.