Stimulated Raman scattering imaging by continuous-wave laser excitation

High-sensitivity and high-specificity biomechanical imaging by stimulated Brillouin scattering microscopy

Label-free, non-contact imaging with mechanical contrast and optical sectioning is a substantial challenge in microscopy. Spontaneous Brillouin scattering microscopy meets this challenge, but encounters a trade-off between acquisition speed and the specificity for biomechanical constituents with overlapping Brillouin bands. Stimulated Brillouin scattering microscopy overcomes this trade-off and enables the cross-sectional imaging of live Caenorhabditis elegans at the organ and subcellular levels, with both elasticity and viscosity contrasts at high specificity and with practical recording times.

Flickering nanometre-scale disorder in a crystal lattice tracked by plasmonic flare light emission

The dynamic restructuring of metal nanoparticle surfaces is known to greatly influence their catalytic, electronic transport, and chemical binding functionalities. Here we show for the first time that non-equilibrium atomic-scale lattice defects can be detected in nanoparticles by purely optical means. These fluctuating states determine interface electronic transport for molecular electronics but because such rearrangements are low energy, measuring their rapid dynamics on single nanostructures by X-rays, electron beams, or tunnelling microscopies, is invasive and damaging. We utilise nano-optics at the sub-5nm scale to reveal rapid (on the millisecond timescale) evolution of defect morphologies on facets of gold nanoparticles on a mirror. Besides dynamic structural information, this highlights fundamental questions about defining bulk plasma frequencies for metals probed at the nanoscale.

Dynamic restructuring of metal nanoparticle surfaces greatly influences their catalytic, electronic transport, and chemical binding functionalities. Here, the authors show that non-equilibrium atomic-scale lattice defects can be detected in nanoparticles by using nano-optics at the sub-5nm scale.

Comparison of continuous wave versus picosecond SRS and the resonance SRS effect

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is a powerful optical technique for probing the vibrational states of molecules in biological tissues and provides greater signal intensities than when using spontaneous Raman scattering. In this study, we examined the use of continuous wave (cw) and picosecond (ps) laser excitations to generate SRS signals in pure methanol, a carotene-methanol solution, acetone, and brain tissue samples. The cw-SRS system, which utilized two cw lasers, produced better signal-to-noise (S/N) than the conventional ps-SRS system, suggesting that the cw-SRS system is an efficient and cost-effective approach for studying SRS in complex systems like the brain. The cw-SRS approach will reduce the size of the SRS system, allowing for stimulated Raman gain/loss microscopy. In addition, we showed that there exists a resonance SRS (RSRS) effect from the carotene-methanol solution and brain tissue samples using cw laser excitations. The RSRS effect will further improve the signal-to-noise and may be utilized as an enhanced, label-free SRS microscopic tool for the study of biological tissues.

Continuous-wave coherent Raman spectroscopy for improving the accuracy of Raman shifts

Raman spectroscopy is an appealing technique that probes molecular vibrations in a wide variety of materials with virtually no sample preparation. However, accurate and reliable Raman measurements are still a challenge and require more robust and practical calibration methods. We demonstrate the implementation of a simple low-cost continuous-wave (cw) stimulated Raman spectroscopy scheme for accurate and high-resolution spectroscopy. We perform shot noise-limited cw stimulated Raman scattering as well as cw coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering on polystyrene samples. Our method enables accurate determination of Raman shifts with an uncertainty below 0.1  cm^-1. The setup is used for the characterization of reference materials required for the calibration of Raman spectrometers. Compared with existing standards, we provide an order of magnitude improvement of the uncertainty of Raman energy shifts in a polystyrene reference material.

Continuous-Wave Coherent Raman Spectroscopy via Plasmonic Enhancement

In this paper, we report a successful combination of stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using cw laser sources and gold/silica nanoparticles with embedded reporter molecules. We describe the preparation method for our gold/silica nanoparticles as well as the effect of probe wavelength, pump and probe power, polarization and sample concentration on the cwSESRS signal. Altogether, a stable ~12 orders of magnitude enhancement in the stimulated Raman signal is achieved because of the amplification of both pump and probe beams, leading to the detection of pico-molar nanoparticle concentrations, comparable to those of SERS. The coherent Raman spectra matches the incoherent conventional Raman spectra of the reporter molecules. Unlike conventional incoherent SERS this approach generates a coherent stimulated signal of microwatt intensities, opening the field to applications requiring a coherent beam, such as Molecular Holography.

Demonstration of wavelength-scan-free action spectroscopy in pump/probe measurement with supercontinuum pump light

We devise and introduce the principle of wavelength-scan-free spectroscopy for the pump light in pump/probe measurement (action spectroscopy) using supercontinuum light; we demonstrate its implementation by measuring transmission spectra. We use the supercontinuum light noise as a code in order to discriminate wavelength. We extract the stimulation at the desired wavelength by correlating the noise at that wavelength observed separately and the observed total stimulation carried by the probe light. The wavelength-scan-free spectroscopy is enabled with a simultaneous procedure for multiple wavelengths.

A sensitive, low noise, DC to 12 MHz, large area photodiode preamplifier for photothermal heterodyne imaging

We report a compact, fast, and low-noise large area photodiode preamplifier designed for photothermal heterodyne imaging (PHI). The preamplifier exhibits a noise level of 7 nV/Hz^1/2 and a bandwidth from DC to 12 MHz sufficient for PHI experiments. Simulations of the preamplifier bandwidth and noise agree with the observed experimental characterization and performance in our home-built PHI system. The observed noise is close to the inherent limitations of the SR844 lock-in amplifier used. The results indicate that the preamplifier is also useful for any other single frequency pump-probe detection technique, such as stimulated Raman scattering.

Development of a classification model for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) using confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in developed countries [1]. A subset of individuals with NAFLD progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of NAFLD which predisposes individuals to cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. The current gold standard for NASH diagnosis and staging is based on histological evaluation, which is largely semi-quantitative and subjective. To address the need for an automated and objective approach to NASH detection, we combined Raman micro-spectroscopy and machine learning techniques to develop a classification model based on a well-established NASH mouse model, using spectrum pre-processing, biochemical component analysis (BCA) and logistic regression. By employing a selected pool of biochemical components, we identified biochemical changes specific to NASH and show that the classification model is capable of accurately detecting NASH (AUC=0.85-0.87) in mice. The unique biochemical fingerprint generated in this study may serve as a useful criterion to be leveraged for further validation in clinical samples.

Label-Free Biomedical Imaging Using High-Speed Lock-In Pixel Sensor for Stimulated Raman Scattering

Raman imaging eliminates the need for staining procedures, providing label-free imaging to study biological samples. Recent developments in stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) have achieved fast acquisition speed and hyperspectral imaging. However, there has been a problem of lack of detectors suitable for MHz modulation rate parallel detection, detecting multiple small SRS signals while eliminating extremely strong offset due to direct laser light. In this paper, we present a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor using high-speed lock-in pixels for stimulated Raman scattering that is capable of obtaining the difference of Stokes-on and Stokes-off signal at modulation frequency of 20 MHz in the pixel before reading out. The generated small SRS signal is extracted and amplified in a pixel using a high-speed and large area lateral electric field charge modulator (LEFM) employing two-step ion implantation and an in-pixel pair of low-pass filter, a sample and hold circuit and a switched capacitor integrator using a fully differential amplifier. A prototype chip is fabricated using 0.11 μm CMOS image sensor technology process. SRS spectra and images of stearic acid and 3T3-L1 samples are successfully obtained. The outcomes suggest that hyperspectral and multi-focus SRS imaging at video rate is viable after slight modifications to the pixel architecture and the acquisition system.

Nrg4 promotes fuel oxidation and a healthy adipokine profile to ameliorate diet-induced metabolic disorders

Objective

Brown and white adipose tissue exerts pleiotropic effects on systemic energy metabolism in part by releasing endocrine factors. Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) was recently identified as a brown fat-enriched secreted factor that ameliorates diet-induced metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. However, the physiological mechanisms through which Nrg4 regulates energy balance and glucose and lipid metabolism remain incompletely understood. The aims of the current study were: i) to investigate the regulation of adipose Nrg4 expression during obesity and the physiological signals involved, ii) to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Nrg4 regulation of energy balance and glucose and lipid metabolism, and iii) to explore whether Nrg4 regulates adipose tissue secretome gene expression and adipokine secretion.

Methods

We examined the correlation of adipose Nrg4 expression with obesity in a cohort of diet-induced obese mice and investigated the upstream signals that regulate Nrg4 expression. We performed metabolic cage and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies in Nrg4 transgenic mice to dissect the metabolic pathways regulated by Nrg4. We investigated how Nrg4 regulates hepatic lipid metabolism in the fasting state and explored the effects of Nrg4 on adipose tissue gene expression, particularly those encoding secreted factors.

Results

Adipose Nrg4 expression is inversely correlated with adiposity and regulated by pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling. Transgenic expression of Nrg4 increases energy expenditure and augments whole body glucose metabolism. Nrg4 protects mice from diet-induced hepatic steatosis in part through activation of hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. Finally, Nrg4 promotes a healthy adipokine profile during obesity.

Conclusions

Nrg4 exerts pleiotropic beneficial effects on energy balance and glucose and lipid metabolism to ameliorate obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Biologic therapeutics based on Nrg4 may improve both type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients.

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Nrg4 is a target of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling in adipocytes.

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Transgenic expression of Nrg4 increased energy expenditure and glucose metabolism.

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Nrg4 stimulates hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis during starvation.

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Nrg4 promotes a beneficial adipokine profile during obesity.

Developments in spontaneous and coherent Raman scattering microscopic imaging for biomedical applications

First, the potential role of Raman-based techniques in biomedicine is introduced. Second, an overview about the instrumentation for spontaneous and coherent Raman scattering microscopic imaging is given with a focus of recent developments. Third, imaging strategies are summarized including sequential registration with laser scanning microscopes, line imaging and global or wide-field imaging. Finally, examples of biomedical applications are presented in the context of single cells, laser tweezers, tissue sections, biopsies and whole animals.

All-PM CW fiber optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate for the first time a CW all-polarization maintaining (PM) all-fiber optical parametric oscillator (FOPO) based on a birefringent photonic crystal fiber pumped by a tunable linearly polarized ytterbium-doped fiber laser. The all-PM FOPO features polarization-adjustment-free tunable operation in wavelength range from 920 to 1000 nm for both the slow and the fast fiber axes with output power reaching 1.3 W.

Generation of synchronized picosecond pulses by a 1.06-µm gain-switched laser diode for stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

We propose that a gain-switched laser diode (GS-LD) can be used as a picosecond laser source for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. We employed a 1.06-µm GS-LD to generate ~13-ps pulses at a repetition rate of 38 MHz and amplified them to >100 mW with Yb-doped fiber amplifiers. The GS-LD was driven by 200-ps electrical pulses, which were triggered through a toggle flip-flop (T-FF) so that the GS-LD pulses were synchronized to Ti:sapphire laser (TSL) pulses at a repetition rate of 76 MHz. We found the timing jitter of GS-LD pulses to be approximately 2.7 ps in a jitter bandwidth of 7 MHz. We also show that the delay of electrical pulses can be less sensitive to the optical power of TSL pulses by controlling the threshold voltage of the T-FF. We demonstrate the SRS imaging of polymer beads and of HeLa cells with GS-LD pulses and TSL pulses, proving that GS-LD is readily applicable to SRS microscopy as a compact and stable pulse source.

Pure electrical, highly-efficient and sidelobe free coherent Raman spectroscopy using acousto-optics tunable filter (AOTF)

Fast and sensitive Raman spectroscopy measurements are imperative for a large number of applications in biomedical imaging, remote sensing and material characterization. Stimulated Raman spectroscopy offers a substantial improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio but is often limited to a discrete number of wavelengths. In this report, by introducing an electronically-tunable acousto-optical filter as a wavelength selector, a novel approach to a broadband stimulated Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated. The corresponding Raman shift covers the spectral range from 600 cm⁻¹ to 4500 cm⁻¹, sufficient for probing most vibrational Raman transitions. We validated the use of the new instrumentation to both coherent anti-Stokes scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectroscopies.

Electronically tunable coherent Raman spectroscopy using acousto-optics tunable filter

Fast and sensitive Raman spectroscopy measurements are imperative for a large number of applications in biomedical imaging, remote sensing and material characterization. In this report, by introducing an electronically-tunable acousto-optical filter as a wavelength selector, we demonstrated a novel instrumentation to the broadband coherent Raman spectroscopy. System's tunability allows assessing Raman transitions ranging from <400 cm(-1) to 4500 cm(-1). We validated the use of the new instrumentation by collecting coherent anti-Stokes spectra and stimulated Raman spectra of various samples.

Rapid spontaneous Raman light sheet microscopy using cw-lasers and tunable filters

We perform rapid spontaneous Raman 2D imaging in light-sheet microscopy using continuous wave lasers and interferometric tunable filters. By angularly tuning the filter, the cut-on/off edge transitions are scanned along the excited Stokes wavelengths. This allows obtaining cumulative intensity profiles of the scanned vibrational bands, which are recorded on image stacks; resembling a spectral version of the knife-edge technique to measure intensity profiles. A further differentiation of the stack retrieves the Raman spectra at each pixel of the image which inherits the 3D resolution of the host light sheet system. We demonstrate this technique using solvent solutions and composites of polystyrene beads and lipid droplets immersed in agar and by imaging the C-H (2800-3100cm(-1)) region in a C. elegans worm. The image acquisition time results in 4 orders of magnitude faster than confocal point scanning Raman systems, allowing the possibility of performing fast spontaneous Raman·3D-imaging on biological samples.

A Time-Encoded Technique for fibre-based hyperspectral broadband stimulated Raman microscopy

Raman sensing and microscopy are among the most specific optical technologies to identify the chemical compounds of unknown samples, and to enable label-free biomedical imaging. Here we present a method for stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy and imaging with a time-encoded (TICO) Raman concept. We use continuous wave, rapidly wavelength-swept probe lasers and combine them with a short-duty-cycle actively modulated pump laser. Hence, we achieve high stimulated Raman gain signal levels, while still benefitting from the narrow linewidth and low noise of continuous wave operation. Our all-fibre TICO-Raman setup uses a Fourier domain mode-locked laser source to achieve a unique combination of high speed, broad spectral coverage (750–3,150 cm⁻¹) and high resolution (0.5 cm⁻¹). The Raman information is directly encoded and acquired in time. We demonstrate quantitative chemical analysis of a solvent mixture and hyperspectral Raman microscopy with molecular contrast of plant cells.

Raman microscopes suffer from the compromise between speed and spectral information and are often unsuited for fibre beam delivery. Karpf et al. overcome these limitations using continuous-wave rapidly wavelength-swept probe lasers and a short-duty-cycle actively modulated pump laser in an all-fibre setup.

Sensitivity enhancement of photothermal microscopy with radially segmented balanced detection

A novel detection method is proposed for highly sensitive photothermal microscopic imaging. This method is based on the characteristics of an angular-dependent photothermal signal; it improves signal intensity by up to two times and rejects the intensity noise of the probe beam. The subdiffraction resolution photothermal imaging of mouse skin melanoma is demonstrated using a laser diode-based photothermal microscopy system to evaluate this method. We confirm that the signal intensity is enhanced 1.7 times compared with the conventional detection method. Moreover, the intensity noise of the laser diode used for the probe beam is effectively reduced by approximately 31 dB, even for a sample with non-uniformity of the refractive index and stationary absorption. This method is implemented by means of a commonly used balanced detector and is thus potentially useful for high-speed imaging.

High-efficiency CW all-fiber parametric oscillator tunable in 0.92-1 μm range

Continuous tuning over 80 nm is demonstrated for the anti-Stokes wave generated in an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on a birefringent photonic crystal fiber pumped by a CW Ytterbium-doped fiber laser tuned around 1.05 μm (within 4 nm only). An influence of the pump laser linewidth and polarization state on the fiber OPO threshold and efficiency is studied. Slope efficiency of parametric generation at 931 nm reaches 19% for ~0.1 nm linearly polarized pump with threshold power of ~5W. At that, the generated linewidth amounts to about 1 nm.

Label-free real-time imaging of myelination in the Xenopus laevis tadpole by in vivo stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

The myelin sheath plays an important role as the axon in the functioning of the neural system, and myelin degradation is a hallmark pathology of multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Electron microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging are three major techniques used for myelin visualization. However, microscopic observation of myelin in living organisms remains a challenge. Using a newly developed stimulated Raman scattering microscopy approach, we report noninvasive, label-free, real-time in vivo imaging of myelination by a single-Schwann cell, maturation of a single node of Ranvier, and myelin degradation in the transparent body of the Xenopus laevis tadpole.

Biological imaging with coherent Raman scattering microscopy: a tutorial

Coherent Raman scattering (CRS) microscopy is gaining acceptance as a valuable addition to the imaging toolset of biological researchers. Optimal use of this label-free imaging technique benefits from a basic understanding of the physical principles and technical merits of the CRS microscope. This tutorial offers qualitative explanations of the principles behind CRS microscopy and provides information about the applicability of this nonlinear optical imaging approach for biological research.

Fiber optical parametric oscillator for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

We present a synchronously pumped fiber optical parametric oscillator for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. Pulses from a 1 μm Yb-doped fiber laser are amplified and frequency converted to 779-808 nm through normal dispersion four-wave mixing in a photonic crystal fiber. The idler frequency is resonant in the oscillator cavity, and we find that bandpass filtering the feedback is essential for stable, narrow-bandwidth output. Experimental results agree quite well with numerical simulations of the device. Transform-limited 2 ps pulses with energy up to 4 nJ can be generated at the signal wavelength. The average power is 180 mW, and the relative-intensity noise is much lower than that of a similar parametric amplifier. High-quality coherent Raman images of mouse tissues recorded with this source are presented.