Method and apparatus for optical sectioning and imaging using time-gated parametric image amplification

An ultrafast time-gated optical parametric amplification system using time-gated optical parametric amplification of light received from an object, comprising:

• an ultrashort pulse laser system configured to generate an optical illumination beam at an illumination frequency and an ultrashort optical pump pulse at a pump frequency, said ultrashort pulse laser system directing the optical illumination beam toward the object;
• a nonlinear optical medium arranged to receive light from the object at a signal frequency in response to interaction of the optical illumination beam with the object, said ultrashort pulse laser system pumping said nonlinear optical medium with the pump pulse, such that the pump pulse spatially and temporally overlaps a portion of the light from the object within the nonlinear optical medium, resulting in time-gating and optical parametric amplification of the portion of the light from the object from interaction with the pump pulse within said nonlinear optical medium;
• an optical detector responsive to output light emitted by said nonlinear optical medium to produce detection signals, wherein
• said optical parametric amplification system images an object, and said system further comprises an imaging device adapted to form an image of the object in accordance with said detection signals, said detection signals comprising object image signals, and
• said imaging device uses the image detection signals generated by said optical detector to make fluorescence lifetime imaging measurements.

An ultrafast time-gates optical parametric amplification system using time-gated optical parametric amplification of light received from an object, comprising:

• an ultrashort pulse laser system configured to generate an optical illumination beam at an illumination frequency and an ultrashort optical pump pulse at a pump frequency, said ultrashort pulse laser system directing the optical illumination beam toward the object;
• a nonlinear optical medium arranged to receive light reflected from the object at a signal frequency in response to interaction of the optical illumination beam with the object, said ultrashort pulse laser system pumping said nonlinear optical medium with the pump pulse, such that the pump pulse spatially and temporally overlaps a portion of the light from the object within the nonlinear optical medium, resulting in time-gating and optical parametric amplification of the portion of the light from the object from interaction with the pump pulse within said nonlinear optical medium;
• and
• an optical detector responsive to output light emitted by said nonlinear optical medium to produce detection signals.

A method of imaging an object using time-gated optical parametric amplification of light received from the object, the method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an optical illumination beam, at an illumination frequency, toward the object;
• receiving imaging light, at a signal frequency, from the object in response to interaction of the illumination beam with the object, and directing the imaging light into a nonlinear optical medium;
• pumping the nonlinear optical medium with an ultrashort optical pump pulse, at a pump frequency, that spatially and temporally overlaps a portion of the imaging light within the nonlinear optical medium, resulting in time-gating and optical parametric amplification of the portion of the imaging light from interaction with the pump pulse within the nonlinear optical medium;
• and
• forming an image of the object in response to output light emitted from the nonlinear optical medium.

A method of imaging an object using time-gated optical parametric amplification of light received from the object, the method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an optical illumination beam, at an illumination frequency, toward the object;
• receiving imaging light, at a signal frequency, from the object in response to interaction of the illumination beam with the object, and directing the imaging light into a nonlinear optical medium;
• pumping the nonlinear optical medium with an ultrashort optical pump pulse, at a pump frequency, that spatially and temporally overlaps a portion of the imaging light within the nonlinear optical medium, resulting in time-grating and non-degenerate optical parametric amplification of the portion of the imaging light from interaction with the pump pulse within the nonlinear optical medium;
• and
• forming an image of the object in response to output light emitted from the nonlinear optical medium.

An ultrafast time-gated optical parametric amplification system using time-gates optical parametric amplification of light received from an object, comprising:

• an ultrashort pulse laser system configured to generate an optical illumination beam at an illumination frequency and an ultrashort optical pump pulse at a pump frequency, said ultrashort pulse laser system directing the optical illumination beam toward the object;
• a nonlinear optical medium arranged to receive light from the object at a signal frequency in response to interaction of the optical illumination beam with the object, said ultrashort pulse laser system pumping said nonlinear optical medium with the pump pulse, said that the pump pulse spatially and temporally overlaps a portion of the light from the object within the nonlinear optical medium, resulting in time-gating and non-degenerate optical parametric amplification of the portion of the light from the object from interaction with the pump pulse within said nonlinear optical medium;
• and
• an optical detector responsive to output light emitted by said nonlinear optical medium to produce detection signals.