Open AccessWidely tuneable fiber optical parametric amplifier for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy
Author(s) -
Mario Chemnitz,
Martin Baumgartl,
Tobias Meyer,
César Jáuregui,
Benjamin Dietzek,
Jürgen Popp,
Jens Limpert,
Andreas Tünnermann
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.026583
Subject(s) - optics , photonic crystal fiber , materials science , raman scattering , laser , optical parametric amplifier , fiber laser , coherent anti stokes raman spectroscopy , optical amplifier , microscopy , wavelength , raman spectroscopy , optoelectronics , physics
We present a narrow-bandwidth, widely tunable fiber laser source for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectro-microscopy. The required, synchronized, two-color pulse trains are generated by optical-parametric amplification in a photonic-crystal fiber (PCF). The four-wave-mixing process in the PCF is pumped by a 140ps, alignment-free fiber laser system, and it is seeded by a tunable continuous-wave laser; hence, a high spectral resolution of up to 1cm(-1) is obtained in the CARS process. Since the PCF is pumped close to its zero-dispersion wavelength, a broad parametric gain can be accessed, resulting in a large tuning range for the generated signal and idler wavelengths. CARS spectroscopy and microscopy is demonstrated, probing different molecular vibrational modes within the accessible region between 1200cm(-1) and 3800cm(-1).