JP5729982B2 - Nonlinear optical system and technology - Google Patents

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on US Provisional Application No. 61 / 264,538 filed on Nov. 25, 2009 and US Provisional Application No. 61 / 265,271 filed on Nov. 30, 2009. It claims priority. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

  The present invention relates generally to non-linear optical systems, and in particular to improved non-linear optical systems and techniques that use higher-order mode optical fibers.

  In non-linear optical systems, such as non-linear microscope systems, a pulsed laser beam is closely focused on a sample and light output is generated from the sample. A non-linear signal is derived from the light output and this non-linear signal can be used to generate a microscopic image of the sample. A plurality of different higher-order light-matter interactions include two-photon fluorescence, second-harmonic generation, third-harmonic generation, and Raman scattering. Can be used in nonlinear optical systems. In the multiphoton emission process, the relationship between incident light intensity and emitted radiation is non-linear. For example, for two-photon excitation, the relationship is secondary. As a result of this nonlinear relationship, only the central spatial portion of a conventional Gaussian beam contributes substantially to the intensity of the emitted radiation. Therefore, much more multi-photon radiation is generated in the portion where the laser beam is closely focused than in the portion where the laser beam is more diffuse. In effect, excitation is limited to the focal volume, resulting in a high degree of exclusion of defocused objects. Similar effects occur in other types of light-matter interactions, including second harmonic generation, third harmonic generation, Raman scattering, photoinduced chemical reactions, material breakdown, and the like.

  FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating the basic principle of operation of an exemplary nonlinear microscope system 20 according to the prior art. The femtosecond laser 22 provides incident light in the form of a pulsed laser output guided by a single mode fiber (SMF) 24 having an end face 26 that provides a pulsed laser beam 28 as a free space output. . The laser beam 28 is directed by a scanning mirror assembly 30 to an objective lens 32 that focuses the beam onto a sample 34 on which a microscopic image is to be generated. The laser beam 28 has sufficient intensity to generate multiphoton excitation of the fluorophore in the sample excitation volume. Fluorescence 36 having an intensity level representing the amount of multiphoton excitation, eg, two-photon fluorescence, is emitted.

  The number of photons required for excitation depends on the specific type of light-matter interaction used to create the fluorescence. In this discussion, it is assumed that the microscope system 20 uses two-photon excitation. However, it will be appreciated that this discussion applies to nonlinear microscopes that use other types of light-matter interactions, including second harmonic generation, third harmonic generation, Raman scattering, and the like.

  The emitted fluorescence is detected by a suitable detector 38, such as a photodiode, photomultiplier tube, or similar element. By scanning the focused laser beam 28 over an area of the sample, intensity data for each point can be collected. Alternatively, the sample may be scanned in place with respect to the beam while the position of the beam remains fixed. Image generator 40 then uses the intensity data to generate a microscopic image of the scanned area of the sample.

  FIG. 1B shows a diagram of a scanning confocal nonlinear microscope system 50 according to the prior art. Similar to the microscope system shown in FIG. 1A, the system 50 includes a single mode fiber 54 having an end face 56 that provides a femtosecond laser 52 and a pulsed laser output 58. The scanning mirror assembly 60 directs the laser output 58 to the objective lens 62, which focuses the laser output 58 closely onto the sample 64, thereby multiphoton excitation of the fluorophore molecules in the excitation volume. And the emission of fluorescence 66 results.

  The microscope of FIG. 1B includes an output pinhole assembly 68 that focuses emitted fluorescence using a detector lens 70 and receives the fluorescence as input. 2 single mode fiber (SMF) 72, which then directs the focused fluorescence to detector 74, where the detector 74 supplies the fluorescence intensity data to the image generator 76. By using the pinhole assembly 68, depth resolution (ie, distance resolution) is added to the microscope system 50. This is because only the signal generated in the focus of the incident light beam can be efficiently coupled into the second SMF 70 for measurement by the detector 72. With this setting, a three-dimensional nonlinear image of the sample is obtained by scanning the sample in the axial direction as well as in the lateral direction.

In the microscope system shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the pulsed laser beam used to provide the incident light on the sample uses a basic LP ₀₁ transverse mode having a near-Gaussian shape. Then, it is guided from the laser to the objective lens. In both systems 20, 50, the single mode fibers 24, 54 that direct the laser beam to the objective do not support propagation in higher order modes that clearly have a non-Gaussian shape.

Due to its near Gaussian shape, the LP ₀₁ mode laser beam can be focused to a narrower beam width than the higher order mode laser beam. For this reason, recent nonlinear microscope systems have used LP ₀₁ mode laser beams to provide incident excitation light. Excitation localization in nonlinear optical systems typically results in much higher spatial resolution than is achieved with linear optical systems. However, it would be desirable to further improve the performance of the microscope system. In particular, it would be desirable to find a way to increase signal resolution in multiple dimensions.

  Aspects of the invention relate to improved nonlinear optical systems and techniques. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a light source, such as a laser, and an optical transmission system comprising a single mode fiber, a mode converter, and a higher order mode fiber, receiving light from the light source and structured. Disclosed is a nonlinear optical system in which an optical transmission system that provides a free space beam has an embedded Gaussian beam, and the embedded Gaussian beam has a width. The optical transmission system illuminates a region of the sample and generates a non-linear response in a smaller spatial region than would be obtained with a Gaussian beam having a width corresponding to the width of the embedded Gaussian beam. To function. Such a non-linear response can include, for example, second harmonic generation or multi-photon material deformation. Due to the nature of the structured beam, the spatial extent in which nonlinear effects exist is smaller than the spatial extent that would be achieved with a Gaussian shaped beam.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, a light source such as a laser, and an optical transmission system that receives light from the light source and supplies a structured free space beam, the optical transmission system is a region of the sample. A non-linear optical system is described that illuminates light to produce a non-linear emission of radiation. Another aspect of this embodiment includes an imaging assembly for detecting nonlinear emissions and generating a microscopic image of the sample using signals derived from the detected emissions.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a long period grating is used as a mode converter. According to another aspect of the present invention, higher order mode laser light is produced in the optical waveguide, while in other aspects, higher order mode laser light is used in the waveguide using bulk optical elements. Produced outside.

1 is a diagram of an exemplary nonlinear microscope system according to the prior art. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary nonlinear microscope system according to the prior art. FIG. 2A and 2B are graphs comparing intensity profiles of the LP ₀₁ mode and the LP ₀₂ mode, respectively. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary nonlinear microscope system according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary nonlinear microscope system according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 4 (Prior Art) and FIG. 5 are a pair of diagrams showing test settings for comparing the resolution achievable with a non-linear microscope system using LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes. 4 (Prior Art) and FIG. 5 are a pair of diagrams showing test settings for comparing the resolution achievable with a non-linear microscope system using LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes. FIGS. 6A-6C are a series of graphs showing theoretical signals inferred based on the calculated intensity characteristics for the LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes. 7A and 7B are graphs showing curves measured experimentally for a linear detector and a second-order nonlinear detector. 8A (prior art) and FIG. 8B are a pair of experimental settings for comparing the confocal resolution of the LP ₀₂ mode with the confocal resolution of the LP ₀₁ mode. 9A and 9B are a pair of graphs showing the confocal signal measured for a linear detector and a second order nonlinear detector. It is a figure which shows the general example of the nonlinear microscope system by the aspect of this invention. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a general example of nonlinear microscopy techniques according to aspects of the present invention.

  Although the detailed description primarily describes systems surrounding nonlinear microscopes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the scope of the invention encompasses other nonlinear optical systems that use higher order mode optical fibers. Let's be done.

In the case of a nonlinear microscope, higher-order mode excitation light can provide better resolution than basic LP ₀₁ mode incident excitation light. Better resolution results from the shape of each of the intensity characteristics of one or more higher-order modes compared to the characteristics of the fundamental mode and from the non-linear relationship between incident light intensity and fluorescence.

Aspects of the present invention are described in the context of using LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes, which are used to provide excitation light to a two-photon nonlinear microscope. However, it will be appreciated that the following discussion can be extended to other higher order modes and other types of nonlinear microscopes. Furthermore, it should be noted that the creation and detection of fluorescence is only one example of an application that utilizes high spatial confinement of the high intensity region of the laser light. The constrained laser light can be used to induce any number of non-linear effects, such as promoting multi-photon chemical reactions or material failure. As used herein, systems used to implement such applications are commonly referred to as “nonlinear optical systems”.

This discussion takes advantage of the concept of M ² parameters and “embedded Gaussian” beams. The M ² parameter is a measure of the beam quality, ie the ability to focus on a dense spot. The lowest possible value of M ² is 1, corresponding to a Gaussian beam. For a given light beam, the M ² parameter is determined based on the beam divergence angle and the width of its narrowest point, and the given beam is diffraction-limited compared to a Gaussian beam. ) Is expressed as a numerical value.

Additional higher order modes, such as LP ₀₂ mode, LP ₀₃ mode, and LP ₀₄ mode, have a non-Gaussian shape that includes a central lobe and one or more outer rings. In determining the M ² values for these shapes, the beam width is defined as the second moment of the lateral intensity distribution.

An “embedded Gaussian” beam is a useful concept for understanding how non-Gaussian beams propagate through optical systems. If a Gaussian beam propagating through an optical system has a position-dependent beamwidth, ω (z), it propagates through the same optical system and has a known M ² parameter. Can be expressed as M · ω (z), that is, as the product of the position-dependent beam width and M, which is the square root of the M ² value.

  It will be appreciated that using this concept, comparing the performance of a non-Gaussian beam with that of an embedded Gaussian beam provides an effective measure of resolution improvement for the non-Gaussian beam.

FIG. 2A shows a graph 100 in which curve 101 shows the intensity characteristic for the LP ₀₁ mode and curve 102 shows the intensity characteristic for the LP ₀₂ mode. The two characteristics have been scaled to have the same embedded Gaussian beam width ω (z) to provide a direct view comparison between the two characteristics. The intensity characteristic of the LP ₀₁ mode is a single central lobe 101a that closely approximates a Gaussian shape. The LP ₀₂ curve is characterized by a non-Gaussian shape with a central lobe 102a and an outer ring 102b.

The LP ₀₁ mode has a strong M ² value that reflects its near Gaussian shape. The LP ₀₂ mode has a non-Gaussian energy distribution. Using the definition of the second moment of beam width, the value of M ² for the LP ₀₂ mode shown in FIG. 2A is about 3 and the M value is about 1.7.

In a two-photon microscope, the relationship between incident light intensity and fluorescent dye molecule excitation is secondary. Thus, using the LP ₀₁ mode and the LP ₀₂ mode, the respective resolution comparisons achievable with a two-photon microscope need to square their respective intensity characteristics. The intensity characteristics of the LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes that are not squared can be considered to represent the probability that a single photon will be present at a given location at a given time. Thus, the square of each intensity characteristic can be considered to represent the probability that two photons will be simultaneously present at a given location.

FIG. 2B shows a graph 110 in which curve 111 shows the squared intensity characteristic for the LP ₀₁ mode and curve 112 shows the squared intensity characteristic for the LP ₀₂ mode. After squaring, the outer ring 112b in LP ₀₂ mode is greatly suppressed and the central lobe 112a is now dominant.

The dominant central lobe 112a of the intensity characteristic 112 of the squared LP ₀₂ mode is significantly narrower than the central lobe 111a of the intensity characteristic 111 of the squared LP ₀₁ mode. Therefore, even if the beam width of the LP ₀₂ mode is significantly larger than the beam width of the LP ₀₁ mode, the intensity characteristic of the squared mode shows that the LP ₀₂ mode provides better resolution in a two-photon microscope. Represents.

FIG. 3A shows a diagram of an exemplary two-photon nonlinear microscope system 120 according to an aspect of the present invention, where a higher order mode laser beam is used to provide incident excitation light. In FIG. 3A, the microscope system 120 includes a laser light source 122 such as a femtosecond laser and provides a pulsed laser output that is initially guided by a single mode fiber SMF 124. Alternative light sources may use longer pulses, or even generate continuous wave emission, but higher peak power is usually achieved using shorter pulses. A long period grating (LPG) 126 is connected to the output of the SMF 124 to provide efficient excitation of the desired higher order mode of the laser output. In the described implementation of the invention, the LPG 126 is preferably written directly into the HOM fiber 128. It should be noted that, generally speaking, the LPG 126 can be written into a separate fiber and then the LPG 126 can be spliced to the HOM fiber 128. In this example, LPG 126 provides LP ₀₂ mode excitation into higher order mode (HOM) fiber 128. As discussed below, other higher order modes can be used including, for example, the LP ₀₃ mode and the LP ₀₄ mode. Usually, further modes are desired because of their high localized peak intensity at the centerline.

In addition, light outside the central region does not contribute to nonlinear interactions, so it is advantageous to use a lower order higher order mode. This is because a larger percentage of the total power is present in the central lobe. In contrast, in so-called “Bessel Beams”, the optical power is distributed to many concentric rings, and the relative power transmitted to the center is reduced compared to the rings. In the low order mode, a larger percentage of the total power is transferred to the central lobe, which is desirable for many nonlinear interactions. Thus, as used herein, “low order higher order mode” refers to a higher order mode with a central lobe guided by a fiber, which mode is generally characterized as an LP _0n mode. Where n is less than 5.

The HOM fiber 128 has an end face 130 from which high-order mode laser light is emitted as a structured free space beam output 132. In other aspects of the invention, higher order modes can be created using bulk optical elements, such as axicons, phase plates, spatial light modulators, etc., after the laser light exits the waveguide. However, one advantage of waveguide-based mode converters is the inherent excitation of one or more modes in which light hardly couples into undesirable modes compared to using bulk optical elements. It is in. This advantage allows more efficient use of optical power. For purposes of this description, the beam exiting the waveguide where the beam propagates as the LP ₀₂ mode is referred to as the “LP _{02 -structured} beam”. The LP _{02 -structured} beam output 132 is directed by the scanning mirror assembly 134 to an objective lens 136 that focuses the laser light 132 closely onto the sample 138. Fluorescent dye molecules in sample 138 that absorb two photons simultaneously enter the excited state, resulting in the emission of fluorescence 140 having an intensity representative of the amount of two-photon excitation that occurs in the excitation volume. The focused laser light is scanned over a selected region of the sample 138, resulting in point-by-point emitted fluorescence intensity data across the scanned region. The emitted fluorescence is detected with a suitable detector 142, such as a photodiode or the like. Image generator 144 uses the detected signal to generate a microscopic image of the scanned region of the sample.

FIG. 3B shows a scanning confocal two-photon microscope system 150 according to another aspect of the present invention. Similar to microscope system 120 of FIG. 3A, microscope system 150 of FIG. 3B includes femtosecond laser 152, single mode fiber (SMF) 154, long period grating 156, and LP ₀₂ mode pulsed laser beam. And a higher order mode (HOM) fiber 158 having an output end face 160 that supplies 162 as an output. Laser beam 162 is directed at scanning mirror assembly 164 and focused onto sample 168 by objective lens 166, resulting in the emission of two-photon fluorescence 170.

  The microscope system 150 of FIG. 3B includes a detector lens 174, a second single mode fiber 176 having an input end face 178, and a second long period written into the second single mode fiber 176. An output pinhole assembly 172 comprising a grating 180 is further included. The detector lens 174 focuses the emitted fluorescence 170 on the end face 178. This fluorescence is then directed to the second long period grating 180 by the second single mode fiber 176. The focused, emitted fluorescence is then directed to detector 182. Image generator 184 then uses the fluorescence data to generate a microscopic image of the scanned area of the sample.

  The output pinhole assembly 172 adds depth resolution (ie distance resolution) to the microscope system 150. This is because only the signal generated in the focus of the beam can be efficiently coupled into the second single mode fiber 176 for measurement by the detector. With this setting, a three-dimensional nonlinear image of the sample is obtained by scanning the sample both laterally and axially.

  Under non-linear excitation, any emission induced by two-photon fluorescence, or non-linear optical processes, as shown in FIG. 2B, as the higher order modes, as the central peak is enhanced in the non-linear signal. Note that it does not look and looks more like a basic mode. Therefore, for nonlinear confocal microscopes based on HOM fibers, the output pigtail should be a single mode fiber, not a HOM fiber. In a linear confocal microscope, the output fiber will again have to be a HOM fiber.

  In the microscope system of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the use of HOM fibers 128, 158 improves the confocal resolution as well as the lateral resolution in the nonlinear microscope. HOM fiber is attractive for a number of reasons in this application, including compatibility with its all-fiber setup and compatibility with its femtosecond pulse transmission.

The high dispersion of HOM fiber allows better pulse transmission than SMF fiber. In particular, the dispersion characteristics of the HOM fiber can be designed to compress or stretch the pulse during propagation, resulting in a more desirable pulse shape incidence on the sample. Long period grating technology allows efficient excitation of the desired higher order modes and can provide wavelength selectivity due to the resonant nature of the mode converter. Many examples of mode converters exist in the industry, including mode converters that are created in waveguides using long period gratings. The spike-shaped central lobe of the intensity characteristics of the squared LP ₀₂ mode described above allows increased lateral resolution in a nonlinear microscope compared to the LP ₀₁ mode. The high M ² value of LP ₀₂ mode (about 3) allows for increased confocal resolution compared to LP ₀₁ mode.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a pair of test settings 240, 270 designed to compare the resolution of a nonlinear microscope system using LP ₀₁ mode with the resolution of a nonlinear microscope system using LP ₀₂ mode. FIG.

In the setting 240 of FIG. 4, the pulsed laser beam from the 1550 nm femtosecond erbium laser 242 propagates in the LP ₀₁ mode of the single mode fiber 244. In the setting 270 of FIG. 5, the pulsed laser beam from the 1550 nm femtosecond erbium laser 272 is directed into the long period grating 273 that excites the LP ₀₂ mode of the higher order mode fiber 274.

  In both test settings 240, 270, the fiber laser outputs 246, 276 are collimated by the first lenses 248, 278. Next, the collimated lights 250 and 280 are focused by the second lenses 252 and 282. The focal points 254, 284 then produce appropriate two-photon photocurrents, such as indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) photodiodes, silicon (Si) photodiodes, etc., by the third lenses 256, 286, etc. Image on the detectors 258, 288.

  Knife edges 260, 290 are translated through beam focal points 254, 284 and the amount of photocurrent on detectors 258, 288 is measured as a function of knife edge position. The slope of this curve with respect to position is a measure of the resolution of the microscope.

The lenses are selected such that both beams have the same embedded Gaussian width in the collimated regions 250, 280 just before the focusing lenses 252, 282. This ensures that at the beam focus 284, the LP ₀₂ beam is approximately M times wider than LP ₀₁ , where the LP ₀₂ beam M ² is approximately 3.

6A-6C are a series of graphs 300, 310, 320 showing theoretical signals inferred based on the calculated intensity characteristics for the LP ₀₁ and LP ₀₂ modes.

The graph 300 of FIG. 6A shows the signal versus knife edge position for the LP ₀₁ mode (curve 301) and the LP ₀₂ mode (curve 302) when the detector responds linearly to the beam intensity.

Graph 310 in FIG. 6B shows the signals for the LP ₀₁ mode (curve 311) and LP ₀₂ mode (curve 312) for a second order nonlinear detector responsive to the squared intensity. In the case of a linear detector, the LP ₀₂ curve is dominated by the outer ring at the edge, so the slope of the curve is smaller than the LP ₀₁ beam. However, for non-linear detectors, the outer ring of the LP ₀₂ beam is suppressed, and the slope of the LP ₀₂ curve is sharper than LP ₀₁ , taking advantage of interactions with non-linear or multi-photon materials such as microscopes. The apparatus shows the potential for improved resolution in the LP ₀₂ beam.

The graph (320) of FIG. 6C shows the signals for the LP ₀₁ mode (curve 321) and LP ₀₂ mode (curve 322) in a third-order nonlinear detector. A much larger, inferred improvement is shown by the further suppression of the wing and the resolution of LP ₀₂ that is approximately twice the resolution of LP ₀₁ .

FIG. 7A is a graph 330 showing experimentally measured curves for LP ₀₁ mode (curve 331) and LP ₀₂ mode (curve 332) in linear detectors 258,288. FIG. 7B is a graph 340 showing experimentally measured curves for LP ₀₁ mode (curve 341) and LP ₀₂ mode (curve 342) in non-linear detectors 258,288. Third order measurements were not made in these experiments.

Note the correspondence between the experimental curves 331, 332, 341 and 342 of FIGS. 7A and 7B and the theoretical curves 301, 302, 311 and 312 of FIGS. 6A and 6B. For linear detectors (curves 301, 302, 331 and 332), LP ₀₂ provides a relatively poor resolution due to the outer ring, but out of the nonlinear detectors (curves 311, 312, 341 and 342). The ring is suppressed and the central spike dominates and the measured slope of LP ₀₂ is greater than the slope of LP ₀₁ . The benefits of higher order modes will be even greater for higher order nonlinearities such as third harmonic generation, which will result in better suppression of the outer ring of LP ₀₂ .

These measurements indicate that LP ₀₂ can have better lateral resolution than LP _{01 in} a nonlinear microscope. HOM also adds greater merit in confocal settings by diffracting beams with large M ² values faster.

8A and 8B show experimental settings 360, 380 for comparing the confocal resolution of the LP ₀₂ mode with the LP ₀₁ mode. In the setting 360 of FIG. 8A, the pulsed laser beam from the femtosecond laser 362 propagates in the LP ₀₁ mode of the single mode fiber 364. In the setting 380 of FIG. 8B, the pulsed laser beam from the femtosecond laser 382 is directed by the single mode fiber 383 into the long period grating 384 that excites the LP ₀₂ mode of the higher order mode fiber 385. The

  In both test settings 360, 380, the fiber laser output 366, 386 is collimated by the first lens 368, 388. Then, the collimated lights 370 and 390 are refocused on the mirrors 374 and 394 scanned in the axial direction by the second lenses 372 and 392. The power reflected from the beam propagates back through the optical system and is coupled back into the fibers 364, 385. Power propagating in the opposite direction is detected through the 5% taps of 95/5 splitters 376,396. Also advantageously, a circulator can be used instead of a tap. The reflected light power is plotted as a function of mirror position.

FIG. 9A is a graph 400 showing the confocal signal measured for a linear detector. Even for a linear detector, LP ₀₂ (curve 402) has a much sharper response curve than LP ₀₁ (curve 401) due to the large M ² value of LP ₀₂ .

FIG. 9B is a graph 410 in which the response of the non-linear detector is simulated by squaring the signal from the linear detector. As can be seen in FIG. 9B, the nonlinear confocal microscope with the LP ₀₂ mode (curve 412) presents a much sharper confocal response compared to the LP ₀₁ mode (curve 411).

In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the higher order mode fibers described herein are optimized for individual applications of nonlinear microscopes. Generally speaking, in a higher-order mode nonlinear microscope, it is possible to optimize the mode shape in order to obtain better resolution compared to a nonlinear microscope using LP ₀₁ incident light.

Throughout the fiber design, the mode shape can be adjusted in the following manner.
1. The M ² value of the fiber can be adjusted. Lower M ² values potentially allow closer focusing in the focal plane.
2. The percentage of power in the center lobe and outer ring of the LP ₀₂ mode can be adjusted. The less power in the outer ring, the less the influence of that power on the second order nonlinear measurements.
3. The size and width of the outer ring can be traded off. By reducing the size of the outer ring while simultaneously increasing the width, the power of the outer ring can be kept constant and the influence of the outer ring on the non-linear measurements can be reduced.
4). The central lobe can potentially be narrower, improving resolution.
5. Different order modes, or combinations thereof, such as LP ₀₃ or LP ₀₄ may be used. When multiple modes are combined, care must be taken with the relative phase relationship between the modes to ensure that the beam combines on the sample in the desired manner, eg, constructively. .

It is important to note that all of these design adjustments are interrelated. For example, the ratio of power in the outer ring or the width and size, by adjusting the still will M ² beam changes.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram of a general nonlinear optical system 500 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. System 500 includes a HOM light source 502 that provides a structured free space beam as output 504. The illumination assembly 506 uses the output 504 to illuminate the sample 508, thereby generating a light output 510 from the sample. Imaging assembly 512 then generates a microscope image 514 of sample 508 using a non-linear signal 514 derived from light output 510. In the example of the invention described above, the nonlinear signal includes a multiphoton fluorescence signal. Alternatively, the nonlinear signal may include, for example, a second harmonic signal, a third harmonic signal, a Raman signal, and the like.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a general nonlinear microscopy technique 600 according to an aspect of the present invention. The method includes the following steps.
Step 601: A low-order high-order mode of laser light guided by a fiber is excited.
Step 602: Provide a structured free space beam as output.
Step 603: A structured free space beam is used to provide illumination to an area of the sample, thereby generating light output from the sample.
Step 604: Use a non-linear signal derived from the light output to generate a microscopic image of the region of the sample.

  While the above description includes details that will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description is exemplary in nature and many modifications and variations to the description will benefit from these teachings. It should be understood that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention herein is defined solely by the claims appended hereto and is intended to be construed as broadly as permitted by the prior art.

Claims (11)

A light source;
An optical transmission system that receives light from the light source and provides a structured free space beam to illuminate a region of the sample and generate a nonlinear response in the spatial region of the sample;
With
The structured free space beam transmitted to a region of the sample comprises a high order LP mode free space output from the end face of the high order mode fiber, and the output of the fiber is known 1 A non-Gaussian shape with a beam width that can be expressed as a product of a larger M ² parameter and a position-dependent beam width ω (z) of an embedded Gaussian beam with M ² parameter equal to 1 The optical transmission system is composed
The spatial region of the non-linear response generated by the structured free space beam has a width, and the width is such that light is only applied to the sample by the embedded Gaussian beam of the structured free space beam. A non-linear optical system, wherein the non-Gaussian shape is structured to be smaller than the width of the spatial domain of the non-linear response generated when applied.   The system of claim 1, further comprising an illumination assembly that focuses the structured beam onto the sample.   The system of claim 2, wherein the illumination assembly causes the structured beam to scan across the sample. The optical transmission system comprises a single mode fiber, a mode converter, and a higher order mode fiber,
The system of claim 1, wherein the structured free space beam is provided as an output at an end face of the higher order mode fiber.   The system of claim 4, wherein the mode converter is configured to excite at least one lower order higher order mode of the higher order mode fiber.   The optical system of claim 1, further comprising an imaging assembly that detects the non-linear response and uses a signal derived from the non-linear response to generate a microscopic image of the sample.   The system of claim 6, further comprising an output pinhole assembly that adds confocal resolution to the microscopic image. A method for generating a microscopic image from a sample, comprising:
(A) receiving light from a light source;
(B) exciting a lower order higher order mode of the light;
(C) providing a structured free space beam;
(D) illuminating a region of the sample with the structured free space beam; and
(E) generating a non-linear response in the spatial region of the sample;
The structured free space beam transmitted to a region of the sample comprises a high order LP mode free space output from the end face of the high order mode fiber, and the output of the fiber is known 1 A non-Gaussian shape with a beam width that can be expressed as a product of a larger M ² parameter and a position-dependent beam width ω (z) of an embedded Gaussian beam with M ² parameter equal to 1 The optical transmission system is composed
The spatial region of the non-linear response generated by the structured free space beam has a width, and the width is such that light is only applied to the sample by the embedded Gaussian beam of the structured free space beam. The method wherein the non-Gaussian shape is structured to be smaller than the width of the spatial domain of the non-linear response generated when applied.  9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (d) causes the structured free space beam to scan across the sample.   10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: (f) generating a microscopic image of the sample using a nonlinear signal derived from the nonlinear emission.   11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: (f) using an output pinhole to add confocal resolution to the microscopic image.