title: Characterization of three-color CARS in a two-pulse broadband CARS spectrum.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Polymers Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA. yjlee@nist.gov
authors.forename: Young Jong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yuexin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Marcus T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cicerone
mesh_terms: D003116:Color; D003460:Crystallization; D004867:Equipment Design; D005898:Glass; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D015233:Models, Statistical; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D017785:Photons; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*