ADVANCEMENTS IN STIMULATED RAMAN SCATTERING MICROSCOPY

Abstract

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy has transformed our ability to image chemical and biological systems because of its sub-micrometer resolution and molecular specificity. However, limitations in small spectral coverage, poor spectral resolution, and low sensitivity hamper the ability of SRS to investigate complex systems. Furthermore, the usage of SRS microscopy beyond biological systems is still very limited. Here I present my work which specifically addresses these issues. In chapters 2 and 3 I demonstrate the benefits of using SRS microscopy outside of its current biological niche, by investigating materials such as latent fingerprints and pharmaceutical tablets. In chapter 4 I address the limitations of poor spectral resolution and small spectral coverage by developing a parabolic fiber amplifier to provide a better SRS microscope. In chapter 5 I demonstrate an application of the developed fiber amplifier system for monitoring and quantifying temperature at the microscale level. Lastly, in chapter 6 I introduce the development of a new optical parametric oscillator (OPO) source to address the final limitation by increasing the sensitivity of SRS imaging, which ties into the future outlook on advancements needed in SRS microscopy.