Recent advances in fibre lasers for nonlinear microscopy

Nonlinear microscopy techniques developed over the past two decades have provided dramatic new capabilities for biological imaging. The initial demonstrations of nonlinear microscopies coincided with the development of solid-state femtosecond lasers, which continue to be the dominant light source for applications of nonlinear microscopy. Fibre lasers offer attractive features for biological and biomedical imaging, and recent advances are promising for the development of high-performance sources with the potential for realizing integrated instruments that are robust and inexpensive. This Review discusses recent advances, and identifies challenges and opportunities for fibre lasers in nonlinear bioimaging.