ORPHEUS User’s Manual
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8. MAINTENANCE
8.1 General Maintenance
ORPHEUS does not have any consumable parts. The lifetime of the device is mostly limited by the
environment it is operated or stored in. Dust and humidity are the key factors affecting the long-term
performance. Additionally, high repetition rate or extreme average power systems may suffer from
degradation of the non-linear crystals. Re-positioning the nonlinear crystals, or even replacing them may be
necessary after a few months or even weeks, depending on input parameters and how often the device is
used.
Cleaning:
• Exterior of the ORPHEUS housing can be cleaned with soft cloth moistened with ethanol. Do not
use Acetone! While cleaning, take care that the dust does not contaminate the external or
internal optics!
• Never clean inside of the housing due to risk of optics and crystal contamination.
• Clean optics only when necessary. When cleaning, use acetone (methanol, ethyl acetate) of
>99.5% purity.
• Do not attempt to clean surfaces of gold/silver/aluminum mirrors due to risk of damage.
8.2 Handling of Nonlinear Crystals
Nonlinear crystals used in ORPHEUS for generation of tunable pulses as well as crystals for second
harmonic or sum frequency generation are fabricated of beta-barium borate (BBO) or lithium triborate
(LBO). These crystals are known to be hygroscopic. Crystals used in ORPHEUS have protective coatings,
however, the humidity level in the laboratory should be nevertheless kept to less than 70%. Optional
difference frequency generation crystals (gallium selenide (GaSe)) can be damaged by very intense beams
or by visible/ultraviolet radiation, which is absorbed by these materials.
If you do not intend to operate the ORPHEUS for a long period of time, you can remove the crystals
out of the mounts (together with turret in case of mixer crystals) and pack them in sealed container with
desiccant.
When cleaning the faces of crystals use acetone (methanol, ethyl acetate) of >99.5% purity. Before
cleaning dust particles, you should try to remove them by using compressed air.
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