Label-Free Biological Imaging Based on Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Abstract

We introduce stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, which enables label-free biological imaging with high sensitivity and high contrast. SRS microscopy employs lock-in technique to detect the modulation transfer between two-color laser pulses. SRS signal quantitatively refl ects the amount of specific molecular vibrations and is free from nonresonant background. These features allow straightforward interpretation of SRS images. We also discuss recent research trends of SRS microscopy.