title: Nonlinear optical interference of two successive coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering signals for biological imaging applications.
abstract: The nonlinear optical interference of two successively generated coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals from two different samples placed in series is demonstrated for the imaging performance, in which a collinear phase matching geometry is used. The relative phase of two CARS signals is controlled by a phase-shifting unit made of dispersive glass materials of which the thickness can be precisely varied. The clear interference fringes are observed as the thickness of the phase-shifting unit changes. The interference effect is then utilized to achieve a better quality CARS image of a biological tissue taken from a mouse skin. Placing the tissue in the second sample position and performing raster scans of the laser beams on it, we can acquire a CARS image of higher contrast compared to the normal image obtained without interferometric implementation.
authors.affiliation: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Division of Advanced Technology, P.O. Box 102, Yusung-Taejeon 305-600, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Seong
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yong Shim
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007368:Interferometry / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*