Two-photon microscopy using picosecond pulses from four-wave mixing in a Yb-doped photonic crystal fiber

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Krawczyk, B., Kudlinski, A., Murray, R. T., Schultz, S. R., Foust, A. J., Runcorn, T. H.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Krawczyk, B.
Kudlinski, A.
Murray, R. T.
Schultz, S. R.
Foust, A. J.
Runcorn, T. H.
author_facet Krawczyk, B.
Kudlinski, A.
Murray, R. T.
Schultz, S. R.
Foust, A. J.
Runcorn, T. H.
contents Two-photon microscopy (TPM) enables deep tissue imaging but requires excitation pulses that have a large product of average and peak power, typically supplied by femtosecond solid-state lasers. However, these lasers are bulky and femtosecond pulses require careful dispersion management to avoid pulse broadening, particularly when delivery fibers are used. Here we present a compact, fiber-based picosecond laser source operating at 790 nm for TPM using a ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fiber (Yb-doped PCF). The Yb-doped PCF simultaneously amplifies 1064 nm input pulses and efficiently converts them to 790 nm via four-wave mixing, generating pulses with a peak power of up to ~3.8 kW. The source has a variable repetition rate (1.48 MHz-14.78 MHz), enabling the two-photon excitation fluorescence signal to be maximized in the presence of excitation saturation. We benchmark our picosecond laser source against a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser for TPM of stained Convallaria majalis samples and demonstrate comparable fluorescence signal when the two-photon excitation conditions are matched.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_01621
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Two-photon microscopy using picosecond pulses from four-wave mixing in a Yb-doped photonic crystal fiber
Krawczyk, B.
Kudlinski, A.
Murray, R. T.
Schultz, S. R.
Foust, A. J.
Runcorn, T. H.
Optics
Two-photon microscopy (TPM) enables deep tissue imaging but requires excitation pulses that have a large product of average and peak power, typically supplied by femtosecond solid-state lasers. However, these lasers are bulky and femtosecond pulses require careful dispersion management to avoid pulse broadening, particularly when delivery fibers are used. Here we present a compact, fiber-based picosecond laser source operating at 790 nm for TPM using a ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fiber (Yb-doped PCF). The Yb-doped PCF simultaneously amplifies 1064 nm input pulses and efficiently converts them to 790 nm via four-wave mixing, generating pulses with a peak power of up to ~3.8 kW. The source has a variable repetition rate (1.48 MHz-14.78 MHz), enabling the two-photon excitation fluorescence signal to be maximized in the presence of excitation saturation. We benchmark our picosecond laser source against a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser for TPM of stained Convallaria majalis samples and demonstrate comparable fluorescence signal when the two-photon excitation conditions are matched.
title Two-photon microscopy using picosecond pulses from four-wave mixing in a Yb-doped photonic crystal fiber
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.01621