Open Access7-ps optical pulse generation from a 1064-nm gain-switched laser diode and its application for two-photon microscopy
Author(s) -
Yuta Kusama,
Yuichiro Tanushi,
Masami Yokoyama,
Rika Kawakami,
Terumasa Hibi,
Yuichi Kozawa,
Tomomi Nemoto,
Shunichi Sato,
Hiroyuki Yokoyama
Publication year - 2014
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.22.005746
Subject(s) - optics , laser , picosecond , materials science , two photon excitation microscopy , pulse duration , laser diode , pulse (music) , optoelectronics , fluorescence , physics , detector
In this study, we investigated the picosecond optical pulse generation from a 1064-nm distributed feedback laser diode under strong gain switching. The spectrum of the generated optical pulses was manipulated in two different ways: (i) by extracting the short-wavelength components of the optical pulse spectrum and (ii) by compensating for spectral chirping in the extracted mid-spectral region. Both of these methods shortened the optical pulse duration to approximately 7 ps. These optical pulses were amplified to over 20-kW peak power for two-photon microscopy. We obtained clear two-photon images of neurons in a fixed brain slice of H-line mouse expressing enhanced yellow fluorescent protein. Furthermore, a successful experiment was also confirmed for in vivo deep region H-line mouse brain neuron imaging.