Cell damage in near-infrared multimode optical traps as a result of multiphoton absorption
- Institute of Anatomy II, Friedrich Schiller University, D-07743 Jena (Germany)
- Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92715 (United States)
We report on cell damage of single cells confined in continuous-wave (cw), near-infrared (NIR) multimode optical traps as a result of multiphoton absorption phenomena. Trapping beams at NIR wavelengths less than 800nm are capable of damaging cells through a two-photon absorption process. Cell damage is more pronounced in multimode cw traps compared with single-frequency true cw NIR traps because of transient power enhancement by longitudinal mode beating. Partial mode locking in tunable cw Ti:sapphire lasers used as trapping beam sources can produce unstable subnanosecond pulses at certain wavelengths that amplify multiphoton absorption effects significantly. We recommend the use of single-frequency long-wavelength NIR trapping beams for optical micromanipulation of vital cells. {copyright} {ital 1996 Optical Society of America.}
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-91ER61227
- OSTI ID:
- 286585
- Journal Information:
- Optics Letters, Vol. 21, Issue 14; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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