Adaptively controlled supercontinuum pulse from a microstructure fiber for two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy

Appl Opt. 2007 May 20;46(15):3023-30. doi: 10.1364/ao.46.003023.

Abstract

Selective fluorescence excitation of specific molecular species is demonstrated by using coherent control of two-photon excitation with supercontinuum pulses generated with a microstructure fiber. Pulse shaping prior to pulse propagation through the fiber is controlled by a self-learning optimization loop so that the highest fluorescence signal contrast between two fluorescent proteins is obtainable. The self-learning optimization loop successfully controls both the optical nonlinarity of the microstructure fiber and the two-photon excitation of the fluorescent proteins.