Search
Menu
Deposition Sciences Inc. - Difficult Coatings - LB - 8/23

Femtosecond Pulses: Control Is Key to New Discoveries

Facebook X LinkedIn Email
Marie Freebody, Contributing Editor, [email protected]

From microscopy to micromanipulation, femtosecond pulses are broadening their reach throughout the photonics research world. To fully realize their potential, precise pulse control is critical. Ultrafast lasers have transformed the worlds of clinical research by revealing biological mechanisms in greater detail than previously possible. Femtosecond lasers are the critically enabling tools in multiphoton microscopy, where shorter pulses generally enable brighter images. Shaped laser pulses excite molecules to specific excited states. Courtesy of ICFO (The Institute of Photonic...Read full article

Related content from Photonics Media



    Articles


    Products


    Photonics Handbook Articles


    White Papers


    Webinars


    Photonics Dictionary Terms


    Media


    Photonics Buyers' Guide Categories


    Companies
    Published: May 2015
    Glossary
    dispersion
    Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing through a medium. This variation in the speed of light for different colors causes the light to spread out or disperse, resulting in the separation of the colors. The most common example of dispersion is the separation of white light into its constituent colors when it passes through a prism. Sir Isaac Newton first demonstrated this phenomenon by using a glass prism to...
    excitation
    1. The process by which an atom acquires energy sufficient to raise it to a quantum state higher than its ground state. 2. More specifically with respect to lasers, the process by which the material in the laser cavity is stimulated by light or other means, so that atoms are converted to a semistable state, initiating the lasing process.
    optogenetics
    A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue, typically neurons, which have been genetically modified to respond to light. Only the cells that have been modified to include light-sensitive proteins will be under control of the light. The ability to selectively target cells gives researchers precise control. Using light to control the excitation, inhibition and signaling pathways of specific cells or groups of...
    photobleaching
    Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently reduced or eliminated upon prolonged exposure to light. This process occurs due to the photochemical destruction or alteration of the fluorophore molecules, rendering them non-fluorescent. Key points about photobleaching: Mechanism: Photobleaching is typically a result of chemical reactions induced by the absorbed photons. The excessive light exposure causes the...
    wavelength
    Electromagnetic energy is transmitted in the form of a sinusoidal wave. The wavelength is the physical distance covered by one cycle of this wave; it is inversely proportional to frequency.
    beam propagationBiophotonicsdentistrydispersionenergyExcitationeye surgeryFeaturesFemtosecond pulsesGVDlaser pulsemicromanipulationmicrosurgerymode-lockedmultiphoton microscopyoptogeneticsphotobleachingpulse energyrepetition ratestentsTPEFwavelengthpulse shape

    We use cookies to improve user experience and analyze our website traffic as stated in our Privacy Policy. By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies unless you have disabled them.