High Spectral Energy Density All-Fiber Nanosecond Pulsed 1.7 $μ$m Light Source for Photoacoustic Microscopy
We present a high spectral energy density all-fiber nanosecond pulsed 1.7 $μ$m light source specifically designed for photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). The system targets the first overtone absorption of C-H bonds near 1720 nm within the near-infrared-III (NIR-III) window, where lipids exhibit strong optical absorption and tissues benefit from reduced scattering and high permissible fluence. To achieve narrow linewidth, high pulse energy, and high pulse repetition rate (PRR), we developed a master oscillator fiber amplifier architecture based on stimulated Raman scattering. A 1589.80 nm Raman pump and a custom-built narrow-linewidth Raman seed laser were employed to generate spectrally pure 1719.44 nm pulses with an approximately 0.10 nm linewidth. The proposed light source delivers nanosecond pulses of approximately 5 ns with high pulse energy of at least 2.2 $μ$J and tunable PRRs up to 300 kHz, resulting in a spectral energy density of approximately 22 $μ$J/nm, which is significantly higher than that of conventional 1.7 $μ$m light sources. The performance of the NIR-PAM system was validated through resolution testing with a 1951 USAF target, demonstrating a spatial resolution of approximately 4.14 $μ$m and an axial resolution of approximately 85.5 $μ$m. Phantom imaging of CH$_2$-rich polymer films and ex vivo lipid-rich biological tissues confirmed the system's high spatial fidelity and strong contrast for lipid-specific structures. This compact, stable, and spectrally refined light source with high spectral energy density can offer an effective solution for high-resolution, label-free molecular imaging and represents a promising platform for clinical photoacoustic imaging applications involving lipid detection and metabolic disease diagnostics.