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Ultrafast optical pulse delivery with fibers for nonlinear microscopy
Author(s) -
Kim Daekeun,
Choi Heejin,
Yazdanfar Siavash,
So Peter T.C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20634
Subject(s) - ultrashort pulse , optics , microscopy , materials science , second harmonic generation , two photon excitation microscopy , supercontinuum , excitation , laser , pulse (music) , second harmonic imaging microscopy , optoelectronics , optical fiber , photonic crystal fiber , physics , fluorescence , quantum mechanics , detector
Nonlinear microscopies including multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscopy and multiple‐harmonic generation microscopy have recently gained popularity for cellular and tissue imaging. The optimization of these imaging methods for minimally invasive use requires optical fibers to conduct light into tight space, where free‐space delivery is difficult. The delivery of high‐peak power laser pulses with optical fibers is limited by dispersion resulting from nonlinear refractive index responses. In this article, we characterize a variety of commonly used optical fibers in terms of how they affect pulse profile and imaging performance of nonlinear microscopy; the following parameters are quantified: spectral bandwidth and temporal pulse width, two‐photon excitation efficiency, and optical resolution. A theoretical explanation for the measured performance of these fibers is also provided. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.