Development and applications of integrated nonlinear imaging tools

该研究计划致力于开发基于非线性光学过程的新的和改进的显微镜和光谱学工具，当它们集成到一个有凝聚力的显微镜平台中时，将对发现各种材料系统的新结构和特性产生影响，包括凝聚的生物分子组装，药物/药品和地质材料。 使用强激光脉冲的特定类型的成像被称为非线性光学显微镜，并且这种不断扩展的框架包括诸如双光子激发荧光、二次谐波产生（SHG）、三次谐波产生、四波混频和相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射（汽车）的技术。尽管它适用于成像和表征广泛的材料系统，但目前这项技术完全是一种“生物医学成像”工具。该研究计划的指导原则是调查和展示这种强大工具的潜力，以回答其他学科的重要问题，如生物材料，药物法医学，地球科学和古生物学。在过去的资助周期中，我们开发了一种独特的敏捷多模态汽车显微镜设置，并已开始使用它来表征此类材料系统。我们将继续对这一工具进行技术开发，并扩大其应用范围。我们将首先针对各种超连续谱产生技术的识别和表征，主要是那些基于微结构光学晶体的技术，以产生廉价的汽车源。这些光源将改善我们现有的世界上最好的高光谱扫描范围的能力。我们将同时致力于为SHG和汽车模式添加偏振敏感的激发和检测方案，为重要生物分子组装的存在和方向提供独特的见解。然后，这些工具将用于重要材料系统的高光谱表征，如经济上重要的原生生物水产养殖和粉末状药物/药物样品。多模式汽车显微镜的快速和无标记成像能力将提供这些样品的独特化学鉴定和三维分析，从而扩大我们的知识范围，并展示该技术在生物医学成像之外的新应用潜力。 该计划建立在CRC和CFI支持的基础设施上，该基础设施是该地区独有的，拥有NSERC支持的HQP和运营资金，以开展具有技术挑战性和世界一流的实验光子学研究。与广泛的本地和国际合作相结合，该计划为各级教育的高素质学生和研究人员的培训提供了一个很好的场所。

This research program works to develop new and improved microscopy and spectroscopy tools that are based on nonlinear optical processes, and which, when integrated in concert into a cohesive microscopy platform, are brought to bear on discovering new structures and properties of a wide range of materials systems, including condensed biomolecular assemblies, drugs/pharmaceuticals, and geological materials. A particular type of imaging that uses intense laser pulses is known as nonlinear optical microscopy, and this ever-expanding framework includes such techniques as two-photon excitation fluorescence, second-harmonic generation (SHG), third-harmonic generation, four-wave-mixing, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). Despite its applicability for imaging and characterizing a wide range of materials systems, at present this technology is fully entrenched as a "biomedical imaging" tool. A guiding principle of this research program is to investigate and demonstrate the potential of this powerful tool to answer important questions in other disciplines such as biomaterials, drug forensics, the geosciences, and paleobiology. Over the past grant cycle, we have developed a uniquely agile multimodal CARS microscopy setup, and have begun using it to characterize such material systems. We will continue the technical development of this tool and expand the scope of its application. We will first target the identification and characterization of various supercontinuum-generating technologiespredominately those based on microstructured optical fibresto yield inexpensive sources for CARS. Such sources will improve on our existing world's-best hyperspectral scan-range capabilities. We will concurrently work to add polarization-sensitive excitation and detection schemes both to the SHG and CARS modalities, providing unique insight into the presence and orientation of important biomolecular assemblies. These tools will then be used for the hyperspectroscopic characterization of important materials systems such as economically important protist aquaculture and powdered drug/pharmaceutical samples. The rapid and label-free imaging capabilities of multimodal CARS microscopy will provide unique chemical identification and three-dimensional assaying of these samples, thus expanding our scope of knowledge and demonstrating the potential of the technique for novel applications beyond biomedical imaging. This program builds on CRC- and CFI-supported infrastructure that is unique to the region, with NSERC-supported HQP and operating funds, to undertake technically-challenging and world-class experimental photonics research. In combination with a wide-range of local and international collaborations, the program offers an excellent venue for the training of highly qualified students and researchers at all levels of education.