Theoretical modeling of single-laser-shot, chirped-probe-pulse femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering thermometry

Chirped-probe-pulse (CPP) femtosecond (fs) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy for single-laser-shot temperature measurements in flames is discussed. In CPP fs CARS, a giant Raman coherence is created in the medium by impulsive pump-Stokes excitation, and the temperature-dependent temporal decay of this initial coherence is mapped into the frequency of the CARS signal using a CPP. The theory of the CPP fs CARS technique is presented. A computer code has been developed to calculate theoretical CPP fs CARS spectra. The input parameters for the calculation of the theoretical spectra include the temperature, probe time delay, ratio of the resonant and nonresonant susceptibilities, and parameters for characterizing the pump, Stokes and probe pulses. The parameters for characterizing the pump, Stokes and probe pulses are determined from the best fit of theoretical spectra to experimental spectra acquired from calibration flames at a known temperature. For spectra acquired in subsequent measurements, these laser parameters are fixed and temperature is determined as one of the fit parameters from the best fit of theoretical spectra to experimental spectra. For single-laser-shot CPP fs CARS temperature measurements performed in steady, near-adiabatic flames, the best-fit temperature distribution width is typically less than 1.5% of the mean temperature. The mean temperature is accurate to within approximately 3% with respect to the adiabatic flame temperature. The most significant limitation on temperature measurement accuracy is associated with the evaluation of the theoretical laser parameters. Significant improvements in the temperature measurement accuracy are expected once monitoring equipment capable of characterizing the spectrum and phase of each laser pulse is incorporated in the experiments.     

Characterization of three-color CARS in a two-pulse broadband CARS spectrum

We demonstrate that a broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectrum generated with a typical two-pulse scheme contains two distinct, significant signals: '2-color' CARS, where the pump and probe are provided by a narrowband pulse and the continuum pulse constitutes the Stokes light, and '3-color' CARS, where the pump and Stokes are provided by two different frequency components in the continuum pulse and the narrowband pulse serves as the probe. The CARS spectra from the two different mechanisms show distinct characteristics in Raman shift range, laser power dependence, and chirping dependence. We discuss the potential for a 3-color CARS signal to cover the fingerprint region with reduced photodamage of live cells. Official contribution of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; not subject to copyright in the United States.     

基于超连续光谱激发的时间分辨相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射方法与实验研究

采用钛宝石飞秒激光器输出的一部分光抽运光子晶体光纤以产生超连续光谱,作为抽运光和斯托克斯光,另一部分飞秒激光作为探测光,并结合时间延迟方法,建立超连续光谱激发时间分辨相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射(CARS)实验系统,测试了具有较宽拉曼光谱的二甲基亚砜样品.实验结果表明,所建立的实验系统能有效抑制非共振背景噪声,并且通过一次测量,即可获得二甲基亚砜在690—3200cm-1范围内的CARS光谱信息,获得的二甲基亚砜CARS光谱范围达到2500cm-1.同时给出了所采用的光子晶体光纤光谱展宽的实验结果.     

Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering with a femtosecond soliton output of a photonic-crystal fiber

We demonstrate time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) by using a frequency-tunable femtosecond soliton output of a silica photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) as a Stokes field. This approach allows quantum beats originating from two close Raman modes to be resolved in the time-domain CARS response. The nonresonant CARS background is efficiently suppressed by introducing a delay time between the probe pulse and the pump-Stokes pulse dyad, suggesting a convenient fiber-optic format for the Stokes source in time-resolved CARS and allowing sensitivity improvement in PCF-based CARS spectroscopes and microscopes.     

Tunable light source for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microspectroscopy based on the soliton self-frequency shift

We present a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based light source for generating tunable excitation pulses (pump and Stokes) that are applicable to coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microspectroscopy. The laser employed is an unamplified Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser oscillator. The CARS pump pulse is generated by spectral compression of a laser pulse in a PCF. The Stokes pulse is generated by redshifting a laser pulse in a PCF through the soliton self-frequency shift. This setup allows for probing up to 4000 cm(-1) with a spectral resolution of approximately 25 cm(-1). We characterize the stability and robustness of CARS microspectroscopy employing this light source.     

Broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy of nitrogen using a picosecond modeless dye laser

Broadband picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy of nitrogen is demonstrated using 145-ps pump and probe beams and a 115-ps Stokes beam with a spectral bandwidth of 5 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of broadband CARS using subnanosecond lasers. The short temporal envelope of the laser pulses and the broadband spectral nature of the Stokes beam will enable nonresonant-background-free, single-shot, or time-dependent spectroscopy in high-pressure or hydrocarbon-rich environments. Successful correlation of room-temperature broadband picosecond N2 CARS with a theoretical spectrum is presented.     

All-ultraviolet time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

We report all-UV coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) in calcite with 250-280 nm pump, Stokes, probe, and anti-Stokes light. UV CARS efficiency is approximately 7x higher than for comparable scattering in the visible, 480-540 nm. Time-resolved UV CARS reveals lengthening of the dephasing time of 1086 cm(-1) CO3(2-) internal vibrations from 4 to 7 ps with increasing vibrational excitation, consistent with a phonon depletion model.     

Two-photon absorption-induced effects in femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman-scattering microspectroscopy of silicon photonic components

We study the effects related to two-photon absorption (TPA) in the microspectroscopy of the silicon photonic components based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) of femtosecond pulses. With 300-fs pulses of 1.24-μm Cr:forsterite laser radiation delivering pump and probe fields and a frequency-shifted soliton output of a large-mode area photonic-crystal fiber employed as a Stokes field, pronounced TPA effects have been observed in the CARS microspectroscopy of silicon components for pump-pulse intensities exceeding 10 GW/cm².     

Quadruplex CARS micro‐spectroscopy

We demonstrate a technique for simultaneous detection of coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) at four vibrational frequencies, using simple passive optical elements and without spectrally resolved detection. The technique is based on pump and Stokes femtosecond pulses selectively exciting vibrational resonances through spectral focusing. By replicating the pump and Stokes pair into four pairs, each traveling through appropriate glass elements, we simultaneously excite four different vibrational frequencies. The resulting CARS is a periodic train of intensities detected by a single photomultiplier and frequency analyzed to retrieve its Fourier coefficients. We demonstrate detection of methanol and ethanol mixtures in water and quantitative determination of their concentration owing to the improved chemical selectivity of this quadruplex CARS scheme. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Narrow-band coherent anti-stokes Raman signals from broad-band pulses

By tailoring the phase of a 100 femtosecond probe pulse we are able to obtain a narrow-band coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) resonant signal with a width of less than 15 cm(-1), which is an order of magnitude narrower than the CARS signal from a transform limited pulse. Thus, by measuring the spectrum of the CARS signal we are able to obtain a high-resolution energy level diagram of the probed sample in spite of the broad femtosecond pulse spectrum.     

Achievement of Narrow-Band CARS Signal by Manipulating Broad-band Laser Spectrum

We theoretically demonstrate the achievement of narrow-band coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering （CARS） signal by manipulating broad-band probe spectrum. The narrowing of the CARS signal depends on the spectrum bandwidth of the probe beam, and thus high-resolution CARS signal for a complicated quantum system can be obtained by the simple spectrum manipulation. Furthermore, the energy-level diagram for the complicated quantum system can also be labelled by measuring the CARS signal at a given frequency.     

High-contrast chemical imaging with gated heterodyne coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

A novel method is presented which substantially improves the signal-to-background ratio for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. It exploits the fixed phase relation between pump, Stokes and CARS fields together with the strong phase coherence in supercontinua generated by femtosecond lasers. Three phase-locked optical parametric amplifiers are used for the realisation of heterodyne signal detection. Proper pulse timing yields a gating mechanism which nearly completely suppresses solvent background signals. PACS 42.65.Dr; 42.65.Hw; 42.65.Yj     

超衍射极限相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射显微成像技术及其探测极限分析

理论上提出一种突破衍射极限限制的相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射显微成像方法, 并对其探测极限进行分析.通过引入环形附加探测光与艾里斑周边的声子作用, 实现点扩展函数的改造, 提高相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射显微成像系统的横向空间分辨率. 随着分辨率的提高, 信号强度也随之降低, 尤其当应用于生物学、医学研究时, 样品分子数密度通常很低, 这将导致信号探测更加困难. 因此分析系统的探测极限, 确定超分辨体积元内的最小可探测分子数是展开超衍射极限相干反斯 托克斯拉曼散射显微成像实验研究的重要前提. 当泵浦光、斯托克斯光、探测光光强均达到极大值, 分辨率约40 nm三维空间内, 超衍射极限相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射显微成像系统的散粒噪声信噪比由曝 光时间与样品分子数密度决定. 曝光时间若取20 ms, 探测极限约为10³, 样品分子数目只有大于探测极限, 才能保证信号可以从噪声背景中提取出来. 关键词： 突破衍射极限 相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射 非线性光学 探测极限     

采用圆偏振啁啾飞秒激光脉冲操控CS2分子的相干拉曼散射过程

采用两束圆偏振啁啾飞秒激光脉冲,非共线相干激发三原子分子CS₂液体. 在相位匹配的方向上,探测到由CS₂频率为397 cm^-1的振动模式产生的强度对称分布的相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射(CARS)信号和相干斯托克斯拉曼散射(CSRS)信号. 当调整两束激发光的圆偏振状态时,CARS,CSRS信号的强度、偏振、波长均发生规律性的改变:CARS,CSRS信号的强度分布反映了CS₂ 在不同极化状态下的受激拉曼散射截面大小;信号光的 关键词： 啁啾脉冲 相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射(CARS) 相干斯托克斯拉曼散射(CSRS) 2')" href="#">CS₂     

Selective excitation of molecular mode in a mixture by femtosecond resonance-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy

Femtosecond time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy is used to investigate gaseous molecular dynamics. Due to the spectrally broad laser pulses, usually poorly resolved spectra result from this broad spectroscopy. However, it can be demonstrated that by the electronic resonance enhancement optimization control a selective excitation of specific vibrational mode is possible. Using an electronically resonance-enhanced effect, iodine molecule specific CARS spectroscopy can be obtained from a mixture of iodine-air at room temperature and a pressure of 1 atm (corresponding to a saturation iodine vapour as low as about 35 Pa). The dynamics on either the electronically excited state or the ground state of iodine molecules obtained is consistent with previous studies (vacuum, heated and pure iodine) in the femtosecond time resolved CARS spectroscopy, showing that an effective method of suppressing the non-resonant CARS background and other interferences is demonstrated.     

High-spectral-resolution coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering with interferometrically detected broadband chirped pulses

To achieve high-spectral-resolution multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), one typically uses a narrowband pump pulse and a broadband Stokes pulse. This is to ensure a correspondence between anti-Stokes and vibrational frequencies. We obtain high-resolution CARS spectra of isopropanol, using a broadband chirped pump pulse and a broadband Stokes pulse, by detecting the anti-Stokes pulse with spectral interferometry. With the temporally resolved anti-Stokes signal, we can remove the chirp of the anti-Stokes pulse and restore high spectral resolution while also rejecting nonresonant scattering.     

Broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering light generation in BBO crystal by using two crossing femtosecond laser pulses

As broad as 12000 cm(-1) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) light from ultraviolet to infrared was generated in a BBO crystal by using two crossing femtosecond laser pulses with 30% conversion efficiency. More than fifteenth-order anti-Stokes and second-order Stokes Raman sidebands were observed with nice Gaussian spatial mode. The effect of the crossing angle between two input beams on the spectrum and emitting angle of the Raman sidebands was studied in detail. Calculation shows that the phase-matching condition determines the frequencies and angles of the sidebands.     

High‐resolution narrowband CARS spectroscopy in the spectral fingerprint region

Coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy is an important technique for spectroscopy and chemically selective microscopy, but wider implementation requires dedicated versatile tunable sources. We describe an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on a magnesium oxide‐doped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal, with a novel variable output coupler, used as a tunable coherent light source. The OPO's signal wavelength ranges from 880 to 1040 nm and its idler wavelength from 1090 to 1350 nm. We use this OPO to demonstrate high‐resolution narrowband CARS spectroscopy on bulk polystyrene from 900 to 3600 cm⁻¹, covering a large part of the molecular fingerprint region. Recording vibrational spectra using narrowband CARS spectroscopy has several advantages over spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, which we discuss. We isolate the resonant part of the CARS spectrum and compare it to the spontaneous Raman spectrum of polystyrene using the maximum entropy method of phase retrieval; we find them to be in extremely good agreement. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

单模石英光纤中受激喇曼散射的研究

利用连续光纤激光器为泵浦源,对单模石英光纤中的受激喇曼散射进行了实验研究.在较低功率泵浦下,观察到由自发喇曼散射向受激喇曼散射演化的过程中,光谱不断变窄;当Stokes波信号功率较强时,观察到光谱峰值相对于泵浦波的频移量从440 cm－1转化到490 cm－1.在改进耦合系统后,不仅观察到一级喇曼频移,并且观察到了高阶Stokes光.在产生多级喇曼光谱时能量移动比较复杂,每两级的喇曼频移间隔并不完全相同.     

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microspectroscopy of silicon components with a photonic-crystal fiber frequency shifter

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microspectroscopy of silicon components is demonstrated with pump and probe fields delivered by a mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser and the frequency-shifted soliton output of a photonic-crystal fiber as a Stokes field. CARS microspectroscopy is shown to allow a visualization of microscale features and defects on the surface of silicon wafers, offering much promise for online diagnostics of electronic and photonic silicon chip components.