Mini Laser Controller (MLC)

The MOGLabs MLC Mini Laser Controller provides fully digital control of an ECDL or DFB/DBR laser. DFB/DBR lasers in a standard 14-pin butterfly package can be directly soldered onto the ultra-miniature form factor PCB (56×67×17.6 mm) for a complete compact laser system, or supplied in a standalone mechanical heatsink package for convenience (125×87×33 mm).

Alternatively, the MLC PCB can be integrated inside a MOGLabs laser chassis (CEX/CEF, LDX/LDF, MOA/MOAL/MSA), driving the laser directly from the laser head (over TCP/IP or USB), providing a very compact tunable laser solution without the need for a separate electronics controller box.

Extended chassis cateye laser with internal isolator and built-in integrated mini laser controller

The MLC includes a high-precision temperature controller (TEC) and current source with low noise, high current (up to 1 A), and high compliance (up to 8.5 V). It includes a high voltage (180 V) piezo driver as well as a fast ADC input. In addition to two analogue inputs for direct modulation of both piezo and current drivers, the MLC provides an internal lock-in amplifier for AC locking to an atomic transition or high finesse optical cavity. Electrical power input is through a USB-C connection, and the device is compatible with most USB-C power delivery adapters. It can be operated using a computer communications interface (TCP/IP or USB) with simple text-based commands.

The table below compares the primary differences between the dDLC and MLC digital diode laser controllers. Please consult individual product specifications for more details.

dDLC MLC
Key features Modular, reconfigurable, expandable, all-in-one Ultra-compact, low-power, embedded, DFB/DBR
Options High current (up to 6A) TA driver, dual laser diode driver, 19” rack mountable Standalone, embedded, OEM
Current supply Ultra-low noise, up to 800mA Ultra-low noise, up to 1024mA
Compliance voltage 8V at 400mA, 4V at 800mA 8V at 500mA, 7.5V at 1024mA
Temperature controller 7.5 – 49.5°C ±0.001°C resolution 7.5 – 70°C ±0.01°C resolution
Piezo driver 0 – 150V, ±10mA (charge and discharge), two independent channels 0 – 180V, 15mA (charge and discharge), single channel
Locking Slow (piezo) bandwidth: 10kHz; fast (current) bandwidth: 750kHz Slow (piezo) bandwidth: 16kHz
External modulation Piezo: coarse (full range 16bit DAC) and fine (10% around the set point 16bit DAC) digital; Current: ±1mA analogue Piezo: full range analogue; Current: ±1mA analogue
Signal input/output 4 BNC analogue inputs, 2 BNC analogue outputs, TTL digital inputs/outputs, Trigger output, Mod output 1 SMA input: piezo mod; 1 SMA input (configurable): AC/DC PD input, current mod; Option: trigger output
Controls GUI for remote operation via LAN or USB; 800x480 pixels full colour display, front panel encoders and buttons GUI for remote operation via LAN or USB
Communications TCP/IP ethernet (10/100); USB 2.0 Type B TCP/IP ethernet (10/100); USB-C 3.0
Laser Standard: MOGLabs DVI-D DL socket; Option: Toptica DLPro Standard: MOGLabs DVI-D DL socket; 14-pin butterfly package; Option: Toptica DLPro, Custom
Power IEC mains, 90 – 264 Vac @ 47 – 63Hz, 28W (standby) USB-C Power Delivery adapter, 4W (standby)
Dimensions 19” 2U, 422×270×88mm (W×L×H), optional rack-mount ears, 3.5kg W×L×H = 56×67×17.6mm, 50g (board, OEM) , W×L×H = 87×120×34mm, 500g (standalone)