Selective two-photon microscopy with shaped femtosecond pulses

Selective two-photon excitation of fluorescent probe molecules using phase-only modulated ultrashort 15-fs laser pulses is demonstrated. The spectral phase required to achieve the maximum contrast in the excitation of different probe molecules or identical probe molecules in different micro-chemical environments is designed according to the principles of multiphoton intrapulse interference (MII). The MII method modulates the probabilities with which specific spectral components in the excitation pulse contribute to the two-photon absorption process due to the dependence of the absorption on the power spectrum of E-2(t) [1-3]. Images obtained from a number of samples using the multiphoton microscope are presented. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.