Continuous-wave stimulated Raman scattering (cwSRS) microscopy

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a powerful tool for chemically sensitive non-invasive optical imaging. However, ultrafast laser sources, which are currently employed, are still expensive and require substantial maintenance to provide temporal overlap and spectral tuning. SRS imaging, which utilizes continuous-wave laser sources, has a major advantage, as it eliminates the cell damage due to exposure to the high-intensity light radiation, while substantially reducing the cost and complexity of the setup. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate microscopic imaging of dimethyl sulfoxide using two independent, commonly used lasers, a diode-pumped, intracavity doubled 532-nm laser and a He–Ne laser operating at 632.8-nm.