# Versatile femtosecond technology for adaptive multi-photon imaging

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2021 · $341,308

## Abstract

Abstract
The goal of this research program is to develop femtosecond source technologies that move beyond mode-
locked lasers and to demonstrate these new techniques with multiphoton microscopy based on adaptive
excitation. High speed multiphoton imaging based on adaptive excitation requires wavelength and pulse
pattern agility that is not currently available. Traditional laser-based sources, moreover, are limited in
wavelength, repetition rate, complexity, and cost. The research proposed will first demonstrate the desired
versatile femtosecond source and then apply this source to multiphoton microscopy based on adaptive
excitation. The research program is based on three major innovations: (1) high quality femtosecond pulse
trains can be generated through optical modulation and novel nonlinear pulse compression and cleaning
techniques, (2) high energy wavelength-agile amplification can be achieved in fiber through broadband
intra-pulse phase matching of chirped pulses, and (3) adaptive excitation enables more than order-of-
magnitude improvements to the speed of multiphoton microscopy with a high power source supporting the
combination of an arbitrary wavelength and pulse pattern, such as with the proposed robust fiber-format
technique enabled by innovations (1) and (2). Our aim is to enable more than an order-of-magnitude
improvement to frame rates at the ultimate depth limits to imaging with a novel source that is significantly
more accessible than previous technologies. Successful completion of this program will have major impact
for biomedical research directions which employ ultrashort pulse technology, such as deep tissue imaging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10092160
- **Project number:** 5R01EB028933-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** William Renninger
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $341,308
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10092160

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10092160, Versatile femtosecond technology for adaptive multi-photon imaging (5R01EB028933-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10092160. Licensed CC0.

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