Generation of coherent thermal phonons in amorphous dielectrics at room temperature induced by four-photon interaction

Resonant responses of Mandelshtam-Brillouin scattering from longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves at frequencies of ν _LS = ±1.15 cm⁻¹ and ν _TS = ±0.7 cm⁻¹, respectively, and at frequency of ν _SS = ν _TS $ \sqrt 3 $ \sqrt 3 = ±0.43 cm⁻¹ were detected in K8 optical glass at room temperature using four-photon spectroscopy. We attribute this effect to the induced generation of a second sound wave (coherent thermal phonons). The mechanisms of generation and the possibility of practical application of the observed effect for express diagnostics of the quality of transparent materials are discussed.