Saturation effects in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy are discussed. The discussion is limited to Raman-resonant CARS (${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{21}$, where ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l,s}$ are the frequencies of the pump fields with powers
Pl,s, and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{21}$ is the frequency of the Raman transition $|1〉\ensuremath{\rightarrow}|2〉$) with the possible addition of a one-photon resonance (${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{31}$ is the frequency of the electronic transition $|1〉\ensuremath{\rightarrow}|3〉$). For these cases we show that the CARS polarization
pCARS is proportional to the off-diagonal density-matrix element ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{21}$. In order to determine ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{21}$, we use Laplace transforms to solve the Bloch equations for the effective two-level system
∣1〉 and
∣2〉 when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}$ is far from resonance, or for the three-level system
∣1〉,∣2〉, and
∣3〉, when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{31}$. The steady-state expression for
pCARS in the former case gives ${\mathcal{p}}_{\mathrm{CARS}}\ensuremath{\propto}{P}_{l}{P}_{s}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ at low powers and ${\mathcal{p}}_{\mathrm{CARS}}\ensuremath{\propto}{P}_{l}^{0}{P}_{s}^{\frac{\ensuremath{-}1}{2}}$ at high powers. In the three-level system, we show that when the pressure is low and at least one field is weak, the slow time dependence of ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{21}$ must be considered. When one field is strong and the other weak, the CARS spectrum is Stark split. When
Pl is high, for example, ${\mathcal{p}}_{\mathrm{CARS}}\ensuremath{\propto}{P}_{l}^{0}{P}_{s}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ for ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{32}$ and ${\mathcal{p}}_{\mathrm{CARS}}\ensuremath{\propto}{({P}_{l}{P}_{s})}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{32}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{V}_{13}$ where
V13 is the one-photon Rabi frequency for the $|1〉\ensuremath{\rightarrow}|3〉$ transition. The Wilcox-Lamb approximation is used to reduce the three-level Bloch equations to rate equations containing one- and two-photon terms. When the fields are so weak that both one- and two-photon terms are small compared to the decay terms, the usual expression for
pCARS is reproduced. If only the direct two-photon processes are important, the effective-two-system results are reproduced. When both fields are intense and nearly resonant, the steady state is rapidly achieved. The results for the case where one field is much stronger than the other are essentially the same as those for one strong and one weak field. When the fields are of comparable strength, ${\mathcal{p}}_{\mathrm{CARS}}\ensuremath{\propto}{P}_{l}^{\frac{1}{2}}{P}_{s}^{0}$ for ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{31}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}\ensuremath{\simeq}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{32}$, and the CARS spectrum is split into five components.
Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is a well-known Raman scattering process that occurs when Stokes, anti-Stokes and pump waves are properly phase-matched. Using a quantum-field approach with Langevin noise sources, we calculate the noise figure for wavelength conversion between the Stokes and anti-Stokes waves in CARS and show its dependence on phase mismatch. Under phase matched conditions, the minimum noise figure is approximately 3 dB, with a correction that depends on the pump frequency, Stokes shift, refractive indices, and nonlinear susceptibilities. We calculate the photon statistics of CARS and show that the photon number distribution is non-Gaussian. Our findings may be significant for currently pursued applications of CARS including wavelength conversion in data transmission and spectroscopic detection of dilute biochemical species.
A fully quantum mechanical density matrix formalism of stimulated hyper-Raman scattering in an inhomogeneously broadened system is presented including the effects of detuning, higher order non-linearities and loss. The equations are solved to fourth-order in the atom-field coupling constant under a situation of low loss, and Stokes-photon statistics are studied in the steady state. The coherence properties of the Stokes beam are found to increase with increasing amplification factor and with decreasing detuning. The occurrence of anti-bunching phenomena is investigated.
The non-classical effects of squeezing of light in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and coherent anti-Stokes hyper-Raman scattering (CAHRS) are investigated under the short-time approximation based on a fully quantum mechanical approach. In an idealized model CARS, the interaction is looked upon as a process involving absorption of a pump photon and emission of a Stokes photon, which is followed by absorption of a pump photon and subsequently emission of an anti-Stokes photon at a different frequency, whereas CAHRS is looked upon as a process involving absorption of two pump photons and emission of a Stokes photon, which is followed by absorption of two more pump photons and subsequent emission of an anti-Stokes photon at a different frequency. The coupled Heisenberg equations of motion involving real and imaginary parts of the quadrature operators are established. It is shown that squeezing in the Stokes and anti-Stokes mode in CARS is found to be dependent on amplitude-squared squeezing of the initial pump field while, in CAHRS, it is dependent on the fourth-order amplitude squeezing of the initial pump field. Higher-order squeezing can be converted to linear squeezing through these processes. It is also shown that squeezing is greater in CAHRS than the corresponding squeezing in CARS.
The theory of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is extended to include the effect of pump fluctuations. The intensities and spectra of lines in resonant CARS are calculated to all orders in fields assuming a phase-diffusion model for waves at the two pump frequencies. The bandwidth of the two lasers enters in a much more complicated way than following a simple scaling of
T1 or
T2. Various resonances in CARS spectra due to dynamic splitting of the energy levels are discussed for a range of detunings, field intensities, and bandwidths. In contrast to the usual spectra in strong fields, the Rabi sidebands appear as dispersion-shaped structures. The laser linewidth is shown to change dramatically the CARS line shape. The case of no saturation is also treated, thus allowing for the inclusion of more general line shapes and fluctuations of the pump waves and the nonlinear susceptibility tensor ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}$. Gaussian statistics of the pump field are shown to lead to enhancement factors in CARS intensity, similar to those appearing in the context of multiphoton absorption processes.
In theoretical investigations, we review several nonlinear optical approaches towards subdiffraction-limited resolution in label-free imaging via coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). Using a density matrix model and numerical integration, we investigate various level schemes and combinations of the light fields that induce CARS along with additional control laser fields. As the key to techniques that gain far-field resolution below the diffraction limit, we identify the inhibition of the buildup of vibrational molecular coherence via saturation or depletion of population (Beeker et al. Opt Express 17:22632–22638, 2009) or the generation of Stark broadening and spatially dependent Rabi sideband generation (Beeker et al. Phys Rev A 81(1), 2010). Depending on the coherence and population decay rates offered by a particular molecular energy level scheme, we identify various different regimes. In the first case, where an additional state (called the control state) and a vibrational state are able to rapidly exchange population via incoherent processes, a prepopulation of the upper vibrational state inhibits the buildup of vibrational coherence. With increasing control laser intensity, this suppresses CARS emission via an incoherent, saturation type of nonlinear process. Using an intense, donut-shaped control laser beam, similar to stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, this can suppress CARS emission from all sample locations except within a subdiffraction-sized range around the central node. Scanning the control beams across the sample provides subdiffraction-limited resolution imaging. An alternative, which does not require a rapid exchange of population with the control state, applies a control beam that only partially depletes the vibrational ground state. Thereby, a CARS point spread function containing a subdiffraction-limited component is generated. Subdiffraction images can then be retrieved through deconvolution. Further approaches are based on the coherent, nonlinear, resonant response of the sample. In this case, CARS signal depletion by Stark splitting of the weakly populated upper vibrational state or the observation of spatially dependent Rabi oscillation may increase the resolution beyond the diffraction limit.