Mobius Photonics, a producer of short-pulsed fibre laser sources (IR, green, and UV laser), has announced that its G1+ laser system has been used in stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy experiments at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen, Germany). The result was a novel laser source for STED microscopy that should lead to more compact and versatile systems in the coming years.
STED microscopy is a non-invasive microscopy technique that, although relying on laser light focused by regular lenses, images fluorescent samples with a resolution an order of magnitude better than the diffraction limit set by the wavelength of light. STED microscopy has been the first technique to radically overcome the diffraction barrier of lens-based (far-field) optical microscopy, and to be applied in the biomedical sciences. However, its application has been hampered by the availability of suitable light sources, as current technologies are limited by complexity, power, repetition rate, or wavelength. Accordingly, research has focused on developing a system based on a novel laser source that could enhance the technique's capabilities-specifically, the ability to use fluorescent markers of choice.
The G1+ Laser System family produces several wavelengths from the IR through the UV. Based on a pulsed master-oscillator, fibre-power-amplifier (MOFPA) architecture, the systems allow diffraction-limited operation over a range of user-adjustable pulse repetition frequencies, pulse widths, and duty cycles.
