Laser Source for 2-Photon-Excited Confocal Microscopy

We will develop a compact, robust, and user-friendly laser Source for 2-photon excitation in lasermicroscopy. The use of 2-photon excitation in confocal microscopy offers a number of advantages forphysiology; however, the use of this technique is currently limited due to the specialized nature offemtosecond duration pulses. 100- femtosecond pulses from a modelocked solid-state laser operating a1.3 microns will be frequency-doubled to generate wavelength tunable ultrashort pulses in the desirearound 650 nanometers. A version of the modelocked laser which is pumped by an array of laser diodesdesigned and built to reduce the size and enhance the stability and reliability of the source. Theresources of 100-femtosecond pulses at the wavelengths which are needed, nor has there been a repone ofemtosecond laser at any wavelength. With a source having the required characteristics it will be pobase of existing and future scanning microscopes for 2-photon excitation.