Versatile femtosecond technology for adaptive multi-photon imaging

摘要 这项研究计划的目标是开发超越模式的飞秒源技术- 并用基于自适应的多光子显微镜来演示这些新技术 激动人心。基于自适应激励的高速多光子成像需要波长和脉冲 当前不可用的模式敏捷性。此外，传统的基于激光的光源仅限于 波长、重复率、复杂性和成本。提出的研究将首先证明所需的 多功能飞秒光源，然后将该光源应用于基于自适应的多光子显微镜 激动人心。该研究计划基于三个主要创新：(1)高质量的飞秒脉冲 通过光调制和新颖的非线性脉冲压缩和清洗可以产生列车 技术，(2)通过宽带在光纤中实现高能波长捷变放大 啁啾脉冲的脉冲内相位匹配，以及(3)自适应激励使能超过数量级 用高功率源支持多光子显微镜的速度提高幅度 任意波长和脉冲图案的组合，例如与所建议的稳健光纤格式的组合 通过创新实现的技术(1)和(2)。我们的目标是实现不止一个数量级的 使用一种新的信号源显著提高了最终深度极限下的帧速率 比以前的技术更容易获得。这项计划的成功完成将产生重大影响 用于使用超短脉冲技术的生物医学研究方向，如深层组织成像。

Abstract The goal of this research program is to develop femtosecond source technologies that move beyond mode- locked lasers and to demonstrate these new techniques with multiphoton microscopy based on adaptive excitation. High speed multiphoton imaging based on adaptive excitation requires wavelength and pulse pattern agility that is not currently available. Traditional laser-based sources, moreover, are limited in wavelength, repetition rate, complexity, and cost. The research proposed will first demonstrate the desired versatile femtosecond source and then apply this source to multiphoton microscopy based on adaptive excitation. The research program is based on three major innovations: (1) high quality femtosecond pulse trains can be generated through optical modulation and novel nonlinear pulse compression and cleaning techniques, (2) high energy wavelength-agile amplification can be achieved in fiber through broadband intra-pulse phase matching of chirped pulses, and (3) adaptive excitation enables more than order-of- magnitude improvements to the speed of multiphoton microscopy with a high power source supporting the combination of an arbitrary wavelength and pulse pattern, such as with the proposed robust fiber-format technique enabled by innovations (1) and (2). Our aim is to enable more than an order-of-magnitude improvement to frame rates at the ultimate depth limits to imaging with a novel source that is significantly more accessible than previous technologies. Successful completion of this program will have major impact for biomedical research directions which employ ultrashort pulse technology, such as deep tissue imaging.