Synchronization of two passively mode-locked, picosecond lasers within 20 fs for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy
نویسندگان
چکیده
We report on the synchronization of two commercial picosecond Ti:sapphire lasers with unprecedented low temporal jitter between the pulse trains. Pulse jitter is reduced from a few picoseconds to 20 fs with a stability of several hours. The technology enabling the tight pulse synchronization is reviewed in this article. We demonstrate the usefulness of the synchronization scheme by applying the technique to coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering CARS microscopy. It is shown that CARS images can be acquired with a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio. This level of performance brings the fluctuations of the CARS signal down to the fundamental photon shot-noise limit. We present detailed statistical analysis of the pulse jitter and CARS noise along with enhanced CARS vibrational images of polymer beads. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.1492001
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High-sensitivity coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy with two tightly synchronized picosecond lasers.
We demonstrate a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy/microscopy, using two highly synchronized picosecond Ti:sapphire lasers. A temporal jitter between the pulse trains from the two independent commercial lasers is reduced from a few picoseconds to ~21 fs , maintained over several hours. The tight synchronization brings t...
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