Pulse front adaptive optics in two-photon microscopy

Strehl ratio for optical systems with ultrafast illumination

We study ultrafast laser pulse properties as they propagate through optical systems. A modified definition of Strehl ratio is used to quantify the chromatic and temporal behavior of ultrafast laser pulses at the optical focus. We propose this parameter as a figure of merit for the design and analysis of optical systems with ultrafast illumination. A simple method to obtain approximate numerical solutions is given with the help of ray tracing software. Effects of monochromatic aberrations and material dispersion up to the second order are discussed.

Follow-up review: recent progress in the development of super-resolution optical microscopy

The advent of super-resolution microscopy brought a huge impact to various research fields ranging from the fundamental science to medical and industrial applications. The technological development is still ongoing with involving different scientific disciplines and often changing the standard of optical imaging. In this review, I would like to introduce the recent research progress in super-resolution microscopy as a follow-up for the featured issue in Microscopy (Vol. 64, No. 4, 2015) with discussions especially on the current trends and new directions in the technological development.