Photos of Teletrac/Axsys Helium-Neon Lasers

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Photos of Teletrac/Axsys Helium-Neon Lasers

These are various stabilized HeNe lasers from Teletrac/Axsys, a maker of interferometer-based metrology products and systems. They were acquired by Axsys Technologies who continued to manufacture their versions of some of Teletrac's products for awhile but apparently they have now been discontinued.

The Teletrac 150 series are dual polarized stabilized HeNe lasers that appear to have been used for various metrology applications including harddrive servo track writing and CD/DVD mastering. There are several versions depending on output power and polarization (linear or circular), and other special (probably OEM) features.

Much more information on these lasers can be found in the chapter: Commercial Stabilized HeNe Lasers of Sam's Laser FAQ.

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 1 (Gallery)
This is a version of the 150-IV laser. It's called "Type 1" since Teletrac lasers are all designated "150" with no more specific identifying numbers and this was the first type I'd seen. :) For many photos of a very similar lasers, Also see Skywise's Teletrac Interferometer Laser.
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate. The center hole is the laser output; the left hole is for the return beam to the optical receiver. Their separation is about 3/8ths inch (9 mm). The shutter has three positions: laser output only, both (shown), receiver input only.
- View 03 - Right back view.
- View 04 - Back plate. The left cable is for AC line power; the right cable is the optical receiver output, which has a 6 pin male DIN at the end. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked.
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Left front interior view with tube cover removed.
- View 07 - Right back interior view.
- View 08 - Right back interior view with tube cover removed.
- View 09 - Closeup of tube assembly showing temperature sensor. One of the heater lamps can be seen in the foreground. The HeNe laser tube is from Melles Griot.
- View 10 - Closeup of optical receiver PCB and optics assembly.
- View 11 - HeNe laser tube lit up with bright heater lamp.
Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 2 (Gallery)
This is what I'm calling "Type 2" since Teletrac lasers are all designated "150" with no more specific identifying numbers and this is the 2nd type I've seen. :) Note: The skins (front plate, back plate, cover) in these photos are actually Axsys but the Teletrac versions differ mainly in the printing, and the front and back plates aren't as shiny.
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate.
- View 03 - Right back view.
- View 04 - Back plate. The cable is for 12 VDC power; The DIN connector is for monitoring status. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked.
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Right back interior view.
- View 07 - Control PCB (attached to back plate) and HeNe laser power supply brick.
- View 08 - Closeup of tube assembly showing short thin film heater and temperature sensor. The HeNe laser tube is from Zygo.
Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 3 (Gallery)
This is what I'm calling "Type 3" since Teletrac lasers are all designated "150" with no more specific identifying numbers and this is the 3rd type I've seen. :)
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate. It is blank because beam exits from right side.
- View 03 - Right back view. Note beam exit tube.
- View 04 - Back plate. The cable is for 12 VDC power; The DIN connector is for monitoring status. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked.
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Right back interior view.
- View 07 - Left interior view.
- View 08 - Right interior view.
- View 09 - Control PCB (attached to back plate) and HeNe laser power supply brick.
- View 10 - Closeup of tube assembly showing temperature sensor. The HeNe laser tube is from Melles Griot.
- View 11 - Closeup of output optics with adjustable 45 degree mirror.
- View 12 - Teletrac 150 laser, interferometer, optical receiver, and retro-reflector (cube-corner) on rotary mount.
- View 13 - Closeup of optical receiver PCB and optics assembly.
Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 4 (Gallery) This is what I'm calling "Type 4" since Teletrac lasers are all designated "150" with no more specific identifying numbers and this is the 4th type I've seen. :) It is older (1991) but it is nice, compact, cute, and works well. :)
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate. The center hole is the laser output; the left hole is for the return beam to the optical receiver. Their separation is 1/4 inch (6 mm).
- View 03 - Right back view.
- View 04 - Back plate. The left cable is for 12 VDC power; the right cable is the optical receiver output. The DIN connector is for monitoring status. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked.
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Left front interior view with tube cover removed.
- View 07 - Right back interior view.
- View 08 - Right back interior view with tube cover removed.
- View 09 - Control PCB (attached to back plate), HeNe laser power supply brick, and PZT fan (visible beneath brick).
- View 10 - Closeup of tube assembly showing temperature sensor with third leg unconnected. One of the heater lamps can be seen in the foreground. The HeNe laser tube is from JDS Uniphase.
- View 11 - Closeup of optical receiver PCB and optics assembly.
- View 12 - Teletrac laser, plane mirror interferometer, and mirror.
- View 13 - Closeup of Teletrac Plane Mirror Interferometer.
Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 5.
The Laser Equipment Gallery does not have possession of these photos. This section is here only so people won't email me asking why the numbering jumps from 4 to 6. :) Please go to Teletrac Model 150 Stabilized HeNe Laser 5 for a link to photos and an explanation.
Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 6 (Gallery)
This one is unique among the Teletrac stabilized HeNe lasers in being an axial Zeeman functionally similar to the HP/Agilent 5517A. A small Melles Griot tube (possibly an 05-LHR-640) is surrounded by 7 bar magnets with thermal stabilization using a thin-film heater and semiconductor temperature sensor similar to the other newer Teletrac lasers. An optical receiver inside the laser generates the REF frequency for the measurement electronics.
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate.
- View 03 - Right back view.
- View 04 - Back plate. The left cable is for 12 VDC power; the right cable is the internal optical receiver REF frequency output. The DIN connector is for monitoring status. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked. The serial number partially hidden by REF cable is 1001. And I doubt that's means one thousand and one of these have been built. :)
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Right back interior view.
- View 07 - Left interior view.
- View 08 - Right interior view.
- View 09 - Left tube and optics view.
- View 10 - Left Closeup of tube assembly. The wires attach to a semiconductor temperature sensor with third leg unconnected (mostly hidden by magnet).
- View 11 - Left optics and optical (REF) receiver view.
- View 12 - Left tube and optics view.
- View 13 - Left Closeup of tube assembly.
- View 14 - Left optics and optical (REF) receiver view.
- View 15 - Closeup of temperature sensor.
- View 16 - Control PCB (attached to back plate) and HeNe laser power supply brick.
- View 17 - Interferometer/Optical Receiver.
- View 18 - closeup of interferometer/optical receiver.
- View 19 - closeup of interferometer/optical receiver PCB.
- View 20 - Closeup 1 of interferometer optics - input side and photodiode.
- View 21 - Closeup 2 of interferometer optics - output side with QWP.
- View 22 - Closeup 3 of interferometer optics - backs of cube-corners
Axsys Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser (Gallery)
This is the Axsys 150 (and the only version I've seen). It is most similar to the Teletrac Type 2 laser, above.
- View 01 - Left front view.
- View 02 - Front plate.
- View 03 - Right back view.
- View 04 - Back plate. The cable is for 12 VDC power; The DIN connector is for monitoring status. The left LED shows the mode sweep (red or green) and will be off when the laser is locked. The right LED is red during preheat and green when locked.
- View 05 - Left front interior view.
- View 06 - Right back interior view.
- View 07 - Control PCB (attached to back plate) and HeNe laser power supply brick.
- View 08 - Closeup of tube assembly showing long thin film heater and temperature sensor. The HeNe laser tube is from Melles Griot.

Photos of Teletrac/Axsys Helium-Neon Lasers

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 1

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 2

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 3

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 4

Teletrac Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser 6

Axsys Model 150 Helium-Neon Laser