Open AccessTwo-photon microscope using a fiber-based approach for supercontinuum generation and light delivery to a small-footprint optical head
Author(s) -
Youbo Zhao,
Gopi Maguluri,
R. Daniel Ferguson,
Haohua Tu,
Kush Paul,
Stephen A. Boppart,
Daniel A. Llano,
Nicusor Iftimia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics letters/optics index
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.381571
Subject(s) - supercontinuum , optics , femtosecond , materials science , optoelectronics , microscopy , optical fiber , microscope , photonic crystal fiber , wavelength , physics , laser
In this Letter, we report a low-cost, portable, two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy imager that uses a fiber-based approach for both femtosecond supercontinuum (SC) generation and light delivery to the optical head. The SC generation is based on a tapered polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fiber that uses pre-chirped femtosecond narrowband pulses to generate a coherent SC spectrum with a bandwidth of approximately 300 nm. Using this approach, high-power, near-transform-limited, wavelength-selectable SC pulses are generated and directly delivered to the imaging optical head. Preliminary testing of this imager on brain slices is presented, demonstrating a high signal-to-noise ratio and sub-cellular imaging capabilities to a depth of approximately 200 µm. These results demonstrate the suitability of the technology for ex vivo and potentially in vivo cellular-level biomedical imaging applications.