Abstract
The efficient nonlinear conversion of Yb-doped fiber laser systems using a combination of stimulated Raman scattering and second-harmonic generation is an effective method for developing sources for biophotonic applications in the yellow–green spectral region. In this paper, we review recent progress in the development of these sources, compare the relative benefits of differing source architectures, and demonstrate stimulated emission depletion microscopy using an exemplar source.
Highlights
P ULSED laser sources in the yellow-green (550–600 nm) spectral region are required for a variety of cutting-edge biophotonic imaging applications such as optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) [1] and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy [2]
It has been shown that stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) can be used in conjunction with second-harmonic generation (SHG) to efficiently convert the output of pulsed Yb:fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) systems into the yellow-green spectral region
The nanosecond duration pulses obtained at wavelengths across the 550–620 nm spectral region with hundreds of nanojoules of pulse energy by the systems reviewed in this paper are ideally suited to applications in biophotonics, such as OR-PAM and STED microscopy
Summary
P ULSED laser sources in the yellow-green (550–600 nm) spectral region are required for a variety of cutting-edge biophotonic imaging applications such as optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) [1] and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy [2]. The wavelength of the depletion beam is located in the red-shifted tail of the emission spectrum of the fluorescent label to deplete the excited state by the process of stimulated emission Both OR-PAM and STED microscopy achieve the best performance using laser sources with tens to hundreds of nanojoules of pulse energy, nanosecond-duration pulses and near diffraction-limited beam quality [4], [5]. These parameters are readily obtainable in the wavelength range 515–550 nm from compact and efficient frequency-doubled Yb:fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) systems. We review current state-of-the-art pulsed yellow-green Raman-shifted Yb:fiber MOPA systems, discuss the relative merits of the different approaches used, and demonstrate the applicability of these sources for STED microscopy
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