Home › Analytical Chem › Femtosecond Laser Filaments for Use in Sub-Diffraction-Limited Imaging and Remote Sensing
Analytical Chem JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Femtosecond Laser Filaments for Use in Sub-Diffraction-Limited Imaging and Remote Sensing

DOI: 10.3791/58207-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Generate femtosecond laser filaments using Kerr self-focusing and plasma defocusing
  • ✓ Apply laser filaments for remote imaging beyond classical diffraction limits
  • ✓ Interpret chemical maps and sub-diffraction-limited images from filament data
Protocol

Biopharma Insights High-intensity femtosecond pulses of laser light can undergo cycles of Kerr self-focusing and plasma defocusing, propagating an intense sub-millimeter-diameter beam over long distances. We describe a technique for generating and using these filaments to perform remote imaging and sensing beyond the classical diffraction limits of linear optics.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~4–8 hours per imaging session (setup, alignment, data acquisition, analysis)

Steps

1
Create femtosecond laser filament beam

Generate high-intensity femtosecond pulses and establish self-focusing/plasma defocusing cycles to propagate an intense sub-millimeter-diameter filament over long distances.

▶ 01:42
2
Perform remote scanning of target surface

Direct the laser filament across a target surface to acquire spatial data for remote imaging and chemical sensing applications.

▶ 03:18
3
Analyze chemical maps and imaging results

Process acquired filament data to generate chemical maps and sub-diffraction-limited images, demonstrating improved resolution beyond linear optical limits.

▶ 04:53
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