title: Coherent anti-stokes raman scattering spectral interferometry: determination of the real and imaginary components of nonlinear susceptibility chi(3) for vibrational microscopy.
abstract: We demonstrate coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) heterodyne spectral interferometry for retrieval of the real and imaginary components of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility (chi(3)) of molecular vibrations. Extraction of the imaginary component of chi(3) allows a straightforward reconstruction of the vibrationally resonant signal that is completely free of the electronic nonresonant background and resembles the spontaneous Raman spectrum. Heterodyne detection offers potential for signal amplification and enhanced sensitivity for CARS microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Conor L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Eric O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Potma
authors.forename: X Sunney
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008857:Microscopy, Interference / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*