Wide spectral range confocal microscope based on endlessly single-mode fiber

Abstract

We report an endlessly single mode, fiber-optic confocal microscope, based on a large mode area photonic crystal fiber. The microscope confines a very broad spectral range of excitation and emission wavelengths to a single spatial mode in the fiber. Single-mode operation over an optical octave is feasible. At a magnification of 10 and lambda = 900 nm, its resolution was measured to be 1.0 mu m (lateral) and 2.5 mu m (axial). The microscope's use is demonstrated by imaging single photons emitted by individual InAs quantum dots in a pillar microcavity. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America