Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique used to measure and visualize the fluorescence lifetime of molecules within a sample. Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time a molecule stays in its excited state before emitting a photon. Unlike intensity-based fluorescence imaging, FLIM provides information about the local environment of fluorophores by analyzing the decay time of fluorescence rather than its intensity, which makes it a powerful tool for studying cellular dynamics, protein-protein interactions, and biochemical processes in living tissues and cells. 

Fiber lasers are integral to FLIM due to their ability to generate the precise and stable light sources required for time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Their specific characteristics, such as beam quality, stability and reliability, as well as their pulse characteristics, work incredibly well for the requirements of this imaging technique. 

MPBC’s Ultrafast mode-locked fiber lasers are compact and maintenance-free with an excellent beam profile, and do not require optical alignment. They generate linearly polarized nearly transformed-limited pulses, and are available with customized specifications. To ensure an environmentally-stable linearly-polarized output and turnkey self-start operation, all components are made of polarization-maintaining fiber.