Molecular coherence effects in stimulated raman scattering

Владимир Григорьевич Беспалов, Dmitry I. Staselko

Shin-ichi Zaitsu, Yuichiro Kida, Totaro Imasaka

The generation mechanism of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a gaseous medium pumped by a pulse with a duration close to one rotational period of molecular motion was studied. We found that the self-seeding effect caused by nonlinear pulse reshaping during propagation of a pump pulse was essential for the excitation of Raman coherence. This clearly explains the selective excitation of specific motions of molecules and the substantial reduction of the threshold of SRS generation.

V. A. Zubov, M. M. Sushchinskiǐ, I. K. Shuvalov

A. Laubereau

Guang S. He

When a high-intensity laser beam passes through a transparent and homogeneous optical medium, the induced light scattering may manifest the properties of stimulated radiation characterized by threshold requirement, high directionality, and high brightness. This is the stimulated scattering of intense coherent light. Discoveries and studies of various types of stimulated scattering effects have provided a much deeper and more comprehensive understanding of interactions between the intense coherent light and matter. On the other hand, devices based on stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and stimulated spin-flip Raman scattering can be employed as highly efficient tunable frequency shifters of coherent light. Stimulated Kerr scattering can be used to generate a super-broadband coherent light and to investigate the molecular anisotropy of liquids. In addition, the recently developed stimulated Rayleigh–Bragg scattering and stimulated Mie scattering can significantly reduce the threshold requirement, and provide a highly efficient no-frequency-shift optical phase conjugation wave.

M. G. Raymer, Ian A. Walmsley