Mobius Laser Used at Max Planck

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Mobius Photonics, producer of short pulsed fiber laser sources (IR, green, and UV), announced that its G1+ laser system has been used in stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy experiments at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. The result was a novel laser source for STED microscopy that should lead to more compact and versatile systems in the coming years, according to Mobius. STED microscopy is a noninvasive technique that, although relying on laser light focused by regular lenses, images fluorescent samples with a resolution by an order of magnitude better than the diffraction limit set by the wavelength of light. STED microscopy has been the first technique to radically overcome the diffraction barrier of lens-based (far-field) optical microscopy and to be applied in the biomedical sciences. However, its application has been hampered by the availability of suitable light sources, as current technologies are limited by complexity, power, repetition rate, or wavelength. Accordingly, research has focused on developing a system based on a novel laser source that could enhance the technique's capabilities – specifically, the ability to use fluorescent markers of choice. The G1+ line produces several wavelengths from the IR through the UV. Based on a pulsed master oscillator, fiber-power-amplifier (MOFPA) architecture, the systems allow diffraction-limited operation over a range of user-adjustable pulse repetition frequencies, pulse widths, and duty cycles.