LDC8020 In Stock

The ThorLabs LDC8020 is a highly sophisticated and versatile laser diode current controller designed to meet the most demanding laser control requirements. This PRO8000 controller can drive laser diodes with different connection schemes - CG (cathode grounded) and AG (anode grounded) - as well as with or without monitor diodes, making it ideal for a wide range of applications in research, manufacturing, and engineering.

One of the most impressive features of the LDC8020 is its exceptional laser stability performance, which is achieved through its extremely low current noise and drift. This "best in class" stability makes the LDC8020 an excellent choice for applications where precise and reliable laser output is essential. The LDC8020 is a bipolar current source for laser diodes that incorporates a transimpedance amplifier input for the monitor diode, with an input impedance of 0 W. This design allows for both polarities of the monitor diode and operation in either photovoltaic (without bias voltage) or photoconductive mode (with bias voltage of UBIAS = 5V). The LDC8020 also includes a built-in mains filter in the mainframe, as well as careful shielding of the transformer, microprocessor, and module, to ensure excellent suppression of noise and ripple.

The LDC8020 features an intuitive PRO8 display menu that makes operation easy for users, with all necessary value settings accessible through the mainframe operating elements, including a keypad and rotational encoder, or remotely via a computer. The laser diode current limit, or "absolute hardware limit," is the only parameter that needs to be manually set. The LDC8020's mnemonic symbols provide user-friendly access to all operational parameters. Whether in constant power or constant current mode, the laser diode current or monitor diode current is set with 16 bit resolution, while limit values for the laser diode current and monitor diode current are set with 12 bit resolution.

Safety is a top priority for the LDC8020, and its built-in safety features safeguard the sensitive laser diode. The LDC8020 is designed with many protective functions like current limits, interruption protection, and soft start. Furthermore, it has an advanced circuit to make sure no RF pickup, AC power-line transients, or power outages can harm the laser diode. The LDC8020 has three independent limits for each current module that can be set to protect the laser. Two out of the three limits are able to be programmed and work to prevent the laser power and current from exceeding maximum values defined by the user. The third limitation is set via a recessed trim-pot in the front panel. This limits the current to prevent unintentional adjustment of the knob on the front panel or programming errors. Even when externally modulating the laser current, the hard or soft limits cannot be exceeded.