Contact focusing hollow-core fiber microprobes

A method for providing a focusing microprobe system, comprising:

• providing one of a single-mode laser radiation source and a few-mode laser radiation source;
• providing a coupler engaging the laser radiation source;
• providing one of a single-mode flexible laser radiation delivery system and a few-mode flexible laser radiation delivery system engaging the coupler;
• and
• providing a plurality of adjacent focusing microlenses arranged in a linear chain coupled to the flexible laser radiation delivery system and arranged in a focusing tip, wherein one or more of the plurality of adjacent focusing microlenses has a high index of refraction of equal to or greater than 1.7.

A focusing microprobe system, comprising:

• one of a single-mode laser radiation source and a few-mode laser radiation source;
• a coupler engaging the laser radiation source;
• one of a single-mode flexible laser radiation delivery system and a few-mode flexible laser radiation delivery system enaging the coupler;
• and
• one or more focusing microlenses coupled to the flexible laser radiation delivery system and arranged in a focusing tip, wherein each of the one or more focusing microlenses has a high index of refraction of equal to or greater than 1.7 such that the focusing microprobe system can be used with the one or more focusing microlenses in contact with an external object.