Line scanning temporally focused two-photon lithography system

A method of multi-photon lithography, comprising:

• (a) generating a first pulsed light beam having a spectral bandwidth;
• (b) expanding the first pulsed light beam to give the first pulsed light beam an elongated cross section;
• (c) splitting the expanded first pulsed light beam into a structured pattern of expanded pulsed light beams;
• (d) modulating light pulses of the structured pattern of expanded pulsed light beams to give the light pulses independently selected linear patterns;
• (e) dispersing spectral components of the modulated light pulses;
• and
• (f) focusing the dispersed spectral components of the modulated light pulses at independently selected lines in an independently selected focal plane within a target material, wherein the focused spectral components alter the target material within independently selected voxels in the independently selected lines, and the independently selected voxels are in spatial correspondence with the independently selected linear patterns.

A system, comprising:

• an optical pulse generator configured to generate a first pulsed light beam having a spectral bandwidth;
• at least a first optical element configured to expand the first pulsed light beam to give the first pulsed light beam an elongated cross section;
• a movable reflective component configured to direct the expanded first pulsed light beam along a first axis;
• a digital micromirror device (DMD) configured to:
• modulate light pulses of the expanded first pulsed light beam to give the to give one or more of the light pulses an independently selected linear pattern, and
• disperse spectral components of the modulated light pulses;
• and
• at least a second optical component configured to focus the dispersed spectral components of the modulated light pulses at an independently selected line in an independently selected focal plane within a target material, wherein the focused spectral components alter the target material within independently selected voxels in the independently selected line, and the independently selected voxels are in spatial correspondence with the independently selected linear pattern.