Open AccessNonlinear-microscopy optical-pulse sources based on mode-locked semiconductor lasers
Author(s) -
Hiroyuki Yokoyama,
Aya Sato,
Haotian Guo,
Kazuo Satō,
Masahito Mure,
Hiroshi Tsubokawa
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.017752
Subject(s) - optics , picosecond , materials science , semiconductor laser theory , laser , second harmonic generation , optical amplifier , optoelectronics , semiconductor , mode locking , amplifier , pulse duration , fiber laser , nonlinear optics , pulse (music) , physics , cmos , detector
We developed picosecond optical-pulse sources suitable for multiphoton microscopy based on mode-locked semiconductor lasers. Using external-cavity geometry, stable hybrid mode locking was achieved at a repetition rate of 500 MHz. Semiconductor optical amplifiers driven by synchronized electric pulses reached subharmonic optical-pulse repetition rates of 1-100 MHz. Two-stage Yb-doped fiber amplifiers produced optical pulses of 2 ps duration, with a peak power of a few kilowatts at a repetition rate of 10 MHz. These were employed successfully for nonlinear-optic bio-imaging using two-photon fluorescence, second-harmonic generation, and sum-frequency generation of synchronized two-color pulses.