Quantum Statistics of a Two-Photon Quantum Amplifier

Two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM) provides attractive advantages over confocal microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved fluorescence imaging and photochemistry. Two-photon excitation arises from the simultaneous absorption of two photons in a single quantitized event whose probability is proportional to the square of the instantaneous intensity. For example, two red photons can cause the transition to an excited electronic state normally reached by absorption in the ultraviolet. In practice, two-photon excitation is made possible by the very high local instantaneous intensity provided by a combination of diffraction-limited focusing of a single laser beam in the microscope and the temporal concentration of 100 femtosecond pulses generated by a mode-locked laser. Resultant peak excitation intensities are 106 times greater than the CW intensities used in confocal microscopy, but the pulse duty cycle of 10-5 maintains the average input power on the order of 10 mW, only slightly greater than the power normally used in confocal microscopy.

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Two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy in living systems

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100146618 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 154-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David W. Piston

Keyword(s):

Confocal Microscopy ◽

Fluorescence Microscopy ◽

Singlet State ◽

Excited Electronic State ◽

Input Power ◽

Two Photon ◽

Simultaneous Absorption ◽

Photon Excitation ◽

Very High ◽

Two Photon Excitation

Two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy provides attractive advantages over confocal microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved fluorescence imaging. Two-photon excitation arises from the simultaneous absorption of two photons in a single quantitized event whose probability is proportional to the square of the instantaneous intensity. For example, two red photons can cause the transition to an excited electronic state normally reached by absorption in the ultraviolet. In our fluorescence experiments, the final excited state is the same singlet state that is populated during a conventional fluorescence experiment. Thus, the fluorophore exhibits the same emission properties (e.g. wavelength shifts, environmental sensitivity) used in typical biological microscopy studies. In practice, two-photon excitation is made possible by the very high local instantaneous intensity provided by a combination of diffraction-limited focusing of a single laser beam in the microscope and the temporal concentration of 100 femtosecond pulses generated by a mode-locked laser. Resultant peak excitation intensities are 106 times greater than the CW intensities used in confocal microscopy, but the pulse duty cycle of 10−5 maintains the average input power on the order of 10 mW, only slightly greater than the power normally used in confocal microscopy.

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Second order interference in two photon absorption

Journal of Modern Optics ◽

10.1080/095003496154806 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 43 (9) ◽

pp. 1765-1771 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. W. HAMILTON and D. S. ELLIOTT

Keyword(s):

Second Order ◽

Photon Absorption ◽

Two Photon Absorption ◽

Two Photon

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