Pulse compression in two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy.
The use of shorter pulses is a practical way to improve the signal in two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy. We report on the theoretical and experimental results of pulse compression in a two-photon excitation fluorescence microscope by using approximately 100-fs Ti:Sapphire laser and highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber. Effects of the fiber parameters, transmitted power, and group-delay dispersion provided by the gratings have been investigated to optimize the compressor performance. By using a 20-mm-long photonic crystal fiber with a zero dispersion wavelength of 850 nm, a compressed pulse of 23.6 fs starting from 94 fs at 790 nm is experimentally demonstrated as a verification of our simulations. By integrating the compressor with a two-photon excitation fluorescence microscope, 5.6 times increase in autofluorescence intensity of NAD(P)H in Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells is demonstrated, showing its potential in enhanced imaging and sensing for disease diagnosis.
Liang
Xiaobao
X
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Hu
Wenyan
W
Fu
Ling
L
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D017785:Photons
D009249:NADP