Two-photon microscopy with wavelength switchable fiber laser excitation

Two-photon scanning fluorescence microscopy has become a powerful tool for imaging living cells and tissues. Most applications of two-photon microscopy employ a Ti:sapphire laser excitation source, which is not readily portable or rapidly tunable. This work explores the use of two-photon fiber laser excitation (TP-FLEX) as an excitation source for scanning two-photon microscopy. We have further demonstrated the use of a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) for facile tuning of the excitation wavelength over the range from 810 nm to 1100 nm. We generated two-photon fluorescence images at excitation wavelengths from 850 nm to 1100 nm detected on a scanning-stage microscope. By PCF wavelength tuning the dye BODIPY fl was selectively excited at 1000 nm whereas MitoTracker red was excited preferentially at 1100 nm. We discuss the potential for fiber laser sources coupled with PCF wavelength tuning as an attractive tunable excitation source for two-photon scanning fluorescence microscopy. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.