# New detection paradigms for laser-scanning microscopy leveraging fiber optical amplifiers

> **NIH NIH R21** · ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $221,662

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Laser scanning microscopy (LSM) – including optical coherence tomography (OCT), confocal and multiphoton
microscopy (MPM) – allows imaging thick, living tissue at depth, and thus has been widely adopted for many
biological contexts. To facilitate further research and discovery, increase in the total information capacity with
larger fields-of-view, faster imaging, or deeper penetration is desired, but is ultimately limited by tissue heating.
This project will employ distributed amplification in optical fibers – a technique pioneered and honed for
telecommunications – in order to bypass this limitation. Two fiber-based amplifier and detection systems (F-
BADS) will be constructed leveraging both the sensitivity of optical amplification, and the bandwidth and dynamic
range of photodiode detectors in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and acquisition speed of LSM
by ~100-fold relative to conventional detection modalities. The first F-BADS will employ Raman amplification in
multi-mode fibers to provide gain in the visible spectrum. The module will be installed into an existing two-photon
microscope and characterize the benefits in SNR and speed afforded by this technique relative to photo-
multiplier-tube-based detection. The second F-BADS will use four-wave mixing in single-mode fiber (SMF) to
provide gain in the 13XX tissue transparency window. The SMF-based design of this amplifier will facilitate
alignment-free integration into a fiber-based reflectance microscope. SNR, speed, and penetration depth
achievable with this method will be characterized for both confocal microscopy and OCT. Both proposed F-BADS
are drop-in compatible as add-on modules for any microscope, and can amplify spatially coherent or incoherent
light across the visible and near-infrared spectrum, including broadband fluorescent signals. Therefore, these
proof-of-principle demonstrations of the utility of nonlinear fiber optical amplification will encourage wide adoption
for a broad range of optical imaging applications, as well as facilitate further scaling of LSM information capacity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11228436
- **Project number:** 7R21EB036153-02
- **Recipient organization:** ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffrey Dakin Demas
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $221,662
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11228436

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11228436, New detection paradigms for laser-scanning microscopy leveraging fiber optical amplifiers (7R21EB036153-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11228436. Licensed CC0.

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