Martin C Fischer, Assistant Research Professor of Chemistry

Martin C Fischer
Office Location:  2216 FFSC
Office Phone:  (919) 660-1523
Email Address: send me a message

Education:

PhD PhysicsThe University of Texas at Austin2001
M.A. in PhysicsThe University of Texas at Austin1993
‘Vordiplom’The University of Freiburg, Germany1991
Research Interests:

Dr. Fischer is an Assistant Research Professor in Chemistry. His research focuses on exploring novel nonlinear contrast mechanisms such as two-photon absorption (TPA) and self-phase modulation (SPM) for structural and functional imaging in tissue.
TPA shares the advantages of two-photon fluorescence imaging, i.e. sectioning capability, high penetration depth in scattering tissue, and high threshold for photodamage. However, TPA does not require the presence of fluorescence and is therefore applicable to low quantum yield species like hemoglobin and melanin. First applications of TPA measurements include the mapping of hemoglobin saturation in deep tissue, which could be of great value in studying tumor hypoxia and microvascular function.
SPM is a nonlinear optical property that causes self-induced, intensity-dependent phase changes in a light pulse propagating through a medium. The molecular and structural dependence of SPM offers novel contrast in tissue. A very promising application is the detection of neuronal activation. An SPM based imaging technique should be able to produce 3D-images of neuronal circuit activity with large field of view, single-cell spatial resolution, millisecond temporal resolution, and minimum invasiveness, all of which are required for precise analyses of neuronal circuit in the brain.
The technique for extraction of TPA and SPM is based on recently developed ultrafast laser pulse shaping and pulse shape detection methods. These techniques allow for the detection of these nonlinear effects with very modest laser powers.

Recent Publications

  1. • R. Zhang, J. A. Greenberg, M. C. Fischer, and D. J. Gauthier, Controllable ultrabroadband slow light in a warm rubidium vapor, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B no. 28 (2011), pp. 2578
  2. • M. C. Fischer, P. Samineni, B. Li, K. Claytor, and W. S. Warren, Accessing nonlinear phase contrast in biological tissue using femtosecond laser pulse shaping, Advanced Microscopy Techniques II, Proc. SPIE no. 8086 (2011), pp. 80860O
  3. M. C. Fischer, I. Piletic, D. Fu, T. Matthews, H. Liu, P. Samineni, B. Li, and W. S. Warren, Enhancing Two-Color Absorption, Self-Phase Modulation and Raman Microscopy Signatures in Tissue with Femtosecond Laser Pulse Shaping, Multiphoton Micr. in the Biomed. Sciences IX, Proc. SPIE, vol. 7183 (2009)
  4. Martin C. Fischer and Mark G. Raizen, Experiments on Quantum Transport of Ultra-Cold Atoms in Optical Potentials, in Time in Quantum Mechanics (2009), Springer (In Print.)
  5. M. C. Fischer, H. C. Liu, I. R. Piletic, Y. Escobedo-Lozoya, R. Yasuda, and W. S. Warren, Self-phase modulation signatures of neuronal activity, Opt. Lett., vol. 33 (2008), pp. 219