SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - September 30, 2009) -
Mobius Photonics, an innovative
producer of
short pulsed fiber
laser sources (
IR, green, and UV
laser), announces that its G1+ Laser System has been used in
stimulated emission
depletion (STED) microscopy experiments at the Max Planck Institute for
Biophysical Chemistry (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.
STED microscopy is a noninvasive microscopy 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.
"In the past, due to the lack of compact and widely tunable sources, STED
systems have focused on markers that emit around 650 nanometers," said
Manuel Leonardo, co-founder and vice president of Mobius Photonics.
"Max Planck researchers, Brian Rankin and STED inventor Stefan Hell, have
now used our G1+ Laser System in an experimental set up that generates
multiple wavelengths in the visible region, opening up new possibilities
for using a variety of markers. This could be an important step toward more
versatile compact STED systems than are available today."
The G1+ Laser System family produces several wavelengths from the IR
through the UV. Based on a pulsed master-oscillator, fiber-power-amplifier
(MOFPA) architecture, G1+ systems allow diffraction-limited operation over
a range of user-adjustable pulse repetition frequencies, pulse widths, and
duty cycles.
For more details, please see "STED microscopy with a MHz pulsed
stimulated-Raman-scattering source," by Brian R. Rankin and Stefan W. Hell,
Optics Express, Vol. 17 Issue 18, pp.15679-15684 (2009).
(http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-17-18-15679)
About Mobius Photonics
Founded in 2005, Mobius Photonics, Inc. produces fiber-based laser sources
for applications ranging from material processing for solar cell
manufacturing, semiconductor fabrication and assembly, and flat panel
display manufacturing, to scientific uses such as STED microscopy. The
Mobius Photonics team combines in-depth understanding of customer needs
with manufacturing experience, and pushes the state-of-the-art by working
in close collaboration with suppliers and customers around the world.
For more information, visit www.mobiusphotonics.com or call (408) 496-1084.
