High-contrast coherent Raman scattering imaging using a self-synchronized dual-color fiber laser

Abstract

Coherent Raman scattering (CRS) imaging is a powerful tool in biomedical researches, thanks to its label-free chemical-specific contrast and the high spatial resolution. However, the large footprints and high cost of the commonly used solid-state laser sources hinder the translation of CRS microscopy to industries and clinical applications. Recently, a variety of fiber laser designs, including soliton self-frequency shift, supercontiuum (SC) generation and fiber optical parametric wavelength conversion, have been proposed. However, they usually suffer from high intensity noise or low power density. Here, we show a passively-synchronized pulsed fiber laser source that provides excellent stability, power level and wavelength tunability. Both high quality coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) images are demonstrated.