IR microscopy utilizing intense supercontinuum light source

Abstract

Abstract:Combining the molecular specificity of the infrared spectral region with high resolution microscopy has been pursued by researchers for decades. Here we demonstrate infrared supercontinuum radiated from an optical fiber as a promising new light source for infrared microspectroscopy. The supercontinuum light source has a high brightness and spans the infrared region from 1400 nm to 4000 nm. This combination allows contact free high resolution hyper spectral infrared microscopy. The microscope is demonstrated by imaging an oil/water sample with 20 μm resolution. form spectroscopic imaging using an infrared focal-plane array detector," Anal. Chem. 67, 3377-3381 (1995). 18. L. M. Miller and R. J. Smith, "Synchrotrons versus globars, point-detectors versus focal plane arrays: Selecting the best source and detector for specific infrared microspectroscopy and imaging applications," Vib. Spectrosc. 38, 237-240 (2005).

Spectral-temporal composition matters when cascading supercontinua into the mid-infrared

“…Together with the high beam quality and intensity of a fiber-delivered beam SCG in chalcogenide fibers has opened the prospects for new powerful MIR analytical tools for broadband fundamental vibrational spectroscopy [6], optical coherence tomography [7], and hyperspectral microscopy [8,9]. Currently, the most mature MIR fiber SC technology is based on fluoride glasses, such as ZrF 4 -BaF 2 -LaF 3 -AlF 3 -NaF (ZBLAN), owing to their high-power capabilities and excellent transmission from the UV to about 4.5 µm [10,11].…”

Doubling the far-field resolution in mid-infrared microscopy

“…Table-top microscopy at mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths (λ>2.5 µm) is performed with tunable or broadband laser sources [1][2][3][4]. Like synchrotron-based mid-IR microscopes [5,6], these collimated coherent sources support diffraction-limited imaging in the far-field.…”

Generation of infrared supercontinuum radiation: spatial mode dispersion and higher-order mode propagation in ZBLAN step-index fibers

“…Numerous applications have emerged since the first supercontinuum in bulk glass was reported by Alfano et al [2], in such diverse fields as spectroscopy [3,4] and optical metrology [5,6]. Recently, supercontinua have been pushed into the mid-infrared, making room for new applications in spectroscopy and microspectroscopy [7][8][9][10], as the molecular fingerprint region can be reached. Novel soft glass fibers such as ZBLAN or chalcogenide are often used to be able to reach into the mid-infrared.…”