Harvard College

The University of Arizona

Christian W Freudiger

Xiaoliang Sunney Xie

Nasser N Peyghambarian

Khanh Kieu

Dan Fu

Wei Min

Brian G Saar

Xiaoling Sunney Xie

Sunney Xiaoliang Xie

An illumination system is disclosed for providing dual excitation wavelength illumination for non-linear optical microscopy and micro-spectroscopy. The illumination system includes a laser system for providing a first train of pulses at a center optical frequency &#x3c9;, a frequency converting system for providing at least a second train of pulses at a center optical frequency &#x3c9;and a third train of pulses at a center optical frequency &#x3c9;, where &#x3c9;is different from &#x3c9;and &#x3c9;responsive to the first train of pulses, an amplifier system for amplifying the second train of pulses to provide an amplified second train of pulses, and an adjustment means for adjusting a time delay between the amplified second train of pulses and the third train of pulses for the dual-excitation wavelength illumination.

Laser illumination systems and methods for dual-excitation wavelength non-linear optical microscopy and micro-spectroscopy systems

A microscopy imaging system is disclosed that includes a light source system, a spectral shaper, a modulator system, an optics system, an optical detector and a processor. The light source system is for providing a first train of pulses and a second train of pulses. The spectral shaper is for spectrally modifying an optical property of at least some frequency components of the broadband range of frequency components such that the broadband range of frequency components is shaped producing a shaped first train of pulses to specifically probe a spectral feature of interest from a sample, and to reduce information from features that are not of interest from the sample. The modulator system is for modulating a property of at least one of the shaped first train of pulses and the second train of pulses at a modulation frequency. The optical detector is for detecting an integrated intensity of substantially all optical frequency components of a train of pulses of interest transmitted or reflected through the common focal volume. The processor is for detecting a modulation at the modulation frequency of the integrated intensity of substantially all of the optical frequency components of the train of pulses of interest due to the non-linear interaction of the shaped first train of pulses with the second train of pulses as modulated in the common focal volume, and for providing an output signal for a pixel of an image for the microscopy imaging system.

Systems and methods for selective detection and imaging in coherent Raman microscopy by spectral excitation shaping

An illumination system is disclosed for providing dual-excitation wavelength illumination for non-linear optical microscopy and micro-spectroscopy. The illumination system includes a laser system, an optical splitting means, a frequency shifting system, and a picosecond amplifier system. The laser system includes a laser for providing a first train of pulses at a center optical frequency &#x3c9;. The optical splitting means divides the first train of pulses at the center optical frequency &#x3c9;into two trains of pulses. The frequency shifting system shifts the optical frequency of one of the two trains of pulses to provide a frequency shifted train of pulses. The picosecond amplifier system amplifies the frequency shifted train of pulses to provide an amplified frequency-shifted train of pulses having a pulse duration of at least 0.5 picoseconds.

A microscopy or micro-spectroscopy system is disclosed that includes a first light source, a second light source, a modulator, an optical assembly and a processor. The first light source is for providing a first illumination field at a first optical frequency &#x3c9;and the second light source is for providing a second illumination field at a second optical frequency &#x3c9;. The modulator is for modulating a property of the second illumination field at a modulation frequency f of at least 100 kHz to provide a modulated second illumination field. The optical assembly includes focusing optics and an optical detector system. The focusing optics is for directing and focusing the first illumination field and the modulated second illumination field through an objective lens toward the common focal volume along an excitation path.

Systems and methods providing efficient detection of back-scattered illumination in modulation transfer microscopy or micro-spectroscopy

A microscopy imaging system includes a first light source for providing a first train of pulses at a first center optical frequency &#x3c9;, a second light source for providing a second train of pulses at a second center optical frequency &#x3c9;, a modulator system, an optical detector, and a processor. The modulator system is for modulating a beam property of the second train of pulses at a modulation frequency f of at least 100 kHz. The optical detector is for detecting an integrated intensity of substantially all optical frequency components of the first train of pulses from the common focal volume by blocking the second train of pulses being modulated. The processor is for detecting, a modulation at the modulation frequency f, of the integrated intensity of the optical frequency components of the first train of pulses to provide a pixel of an image for the microscopy imaging system.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Christian W Freudiger