title: Analysis of the dispersion compensation of acousto-optic deflectors used for multiphoton imaging.
abstract: The acousto-optic deflector (AOD) is highly preferred in laser scanning microscopy for its fast scanning ability and random-addressing capability. However, its application in two-photon microscopy is frustrated by the dispersion of the AOD, which results in beam distortion and pulse lengthening. We report the analysis of simultaneous compensation for the angular dispersion and temporal dispersion of the AOD by merely introducing a single dispersive element such as a prism or a grating. Besides serving as a scanner, the AOD is also a part of the compressor pair by integrating the dispersive nature of the AO interaction. This compensation principle is effective for both one-dimensional (1-D) AOD and two-dimensional (2-D) AOD scanning. Switching from a 1-D to a 2-D system requires proper optical alignment with the compensation element, but does not involve any new components. Analytical expressions are given to illustrate the working principle and to help with understanding the design of the system. Fluorescence images of beads and cells are shown to demonstrate the performance of two-photon microscopy when applying this compensated 2-D AOD as scanner.
authors.affiliation: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Photonics, Ministry of Education, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan 430074 China. sqzeng@mail.hust.edu.cn
authors.forename: Shaoqun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Derong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenhui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.forename: Qingming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity