Chemnitz, MarioMarioChemnitzBaumgartl, MartinMartinBaumgartlMeyer, TobiasTobiasMeyerJauregui, CesarCesarJaureguiDietzek, BenjaminBenjaminDietzekPopp, JürgenJürgenPoppLimpert, JensJensLimpertTünnermann, AndreasAndreasTünnermann2022-03-042022-03-042012https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/22994010.1364/OE.20.026583We present a narrow-bandwidth, widely tunable fiber laser source for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectro-microscopy. The required, synchronized, two-color pulse trains are generated by optical-parametric amplification in a photonic-crystal fiber (PCF). The four-wave-mixing process in the PCF is pumped by a 140ps, alignment-free fiber laser system, and it is seeded by a tunable continuous-wave laser; hence, a high spectral resolution of up to 1cm-1 is obtained in the CARS process. Since the PCF is pumped close to its zero-dispersion wavelength, a broad parametric gain can be accessed, resulting in a large tuning range for the generated signal and idler wavelengths. CARS spectroscopy and microscopy is demonstrated, probing different molecular vibrational modes within the accessible region between 1200cm-1 and 3800cm-1.en620621journal article