Increasing brightness in multiphoton microscopy with low-repetition-rate, wavelength-tunable femtosecond fiber laser

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bogusławski, Jakub, Kwaśny, Alicja, Stachowiak, Dorota, Soboń, Grzegorz
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866910336305594368
author Bogusławski, Jakub
Kwaśny, Alicja
Stachowiak, Dorota
Soboń, Grzegorz
author_facet Bogusławski, Jakub
Kwaśny, Alicja
Stachowiak, Dorota
Soboń, Grzegorz
contents Many experiments in biological and medical sciences currently use multiphoton microscopy as a core imaging technique. To date, solid-state lasers are most commonly used as excitation beam sources. However, the most demanding applications require precisely adjusted excitation laser parameters to enhance image quality. Still, the lag in developing easy-to-use laser sources with tunable output parameters makes it challenging. Here, we show that manipulating the temporal and spectral properties of the excitation beam can significantly improve the quality of images. We have developed a wavelength-tunable femtosecond fiber laser that operates within the 760 - 800 nm spectral range and produces ultrashort pulses (below 70 fs) with a clean temporal profile and high pulse energy (1 nJ). The repetition rate could be easily adjusted using an integrated pulse picker unit within the 1 - 25 MHz range and without strongly influencing other parameters of the generated pulses. We integrated the laser with a two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) scanning laser microscope and investigated the effect of tunable wavelength and reducing the pulse repetition rate on the quality of obtained images. Using our laser, we substantially improved the images brightness and penetration depth of native fluorescence and stained samples compared with a standard fiber laser. Our results will contribute to developing imaging techniques using lower average laser power and broader use of tailored fiber-based sources.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2308_12753
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Increasing brightness in multiphoton microscopy with low-repetition-rate, wavelength-tunable femtosecond fiber laser
Bogusławski, Jakub
Kwaśny, Alicja
Stachowiak, Dorota
Soboń, Grzegorz
Optics
Biological Physics
Many experiments in biological and medical sciences currently use multiphoton microscopy as a core imaging technique. To date, solid-state lasers are most commonly used as excitation beam sources. However, the most demanding applications require precisely adjusted excitation laser parameters to enhance image quality. Still, the lag in developing easy-to-use laser sources with tunable output parameters makes it challenging. Here, we show that manipulating the temporal and spectral properties of the excitation beam can significantly improve the quality of images. We have developed a wavelength-tunable femtosecond fiber laser that operates within the 760 - 800 nm spectral range and produces ultrashort pulses (below 70 fs) with a clean temporal profile and high pulse energy (1 nJ). The repetition rate could be easily adjusted using an integrated pulse picker unit within the 1 - 25 MHz range and without strongly influencing other parameters of the generated pulses. We integrated the laser with a two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) scanning laser microscope and investigated the effect of tunable wavelength and reducing the pulse repetition rate on the quality of obtained images. Using our laser, we substantially improved the images brightness and penetration depth of native fluorescence and stained samples compared with a standard fiber laser. Our results will contribute to developing imaging techniques using lower average laser power and broader use of tailored fiber-based sources.
title Increasing brightness in multiphoton microscopy with low-repetition-rate, wavelength-tunable femtosecond fiber laser
topic Optics
Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.12753