Compact and robust dual-color linearly polarized illumination source for three-photon fluorescence imaging

The miniaturized femtosecond laser in near infrared-Ⅱregion is the core equipment of threephoton microscopy.In this paper,we design a compact and robust illumination source that emits dual-color linearly polarized light for three-photon microscopy.Based on an all-polarizationmaintaining passive mode-locked fiber laser,we shift the center wavelength of the pulses to the 1.7m band utilizing cascade Raman effect,thereby generate dual-wavelength pulses.To enhance clarity,the two wavelengths are separated through the graded-index multimode fiber.Then we obtain the dual-pulse sequences with 1639.4 nm and 1683.7 nm wavelengths,920 fs pulse duration,and 23.75 MHz pulse repetition rate.The average power of the signal is 53.64mW,corresponding to a single pulse energy of 2.25 nJ.This illumination source can be further amplified and compressed for three-photon fluorescence imaging,especially dual-color three-photon fluorescence imaging,making it an ideal option for biomedical applications.