Continuous-wave stimulated Brillouin spectroscopy in scattering media at 780 nm (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Quantitative probing of the mechanical properties of scattering media by Brillouin spectroscopy is an emerging field of research. At present, Brillouin spectrometers typically detect spontaneous Brillouin backscattered signals from the sample using setups that comprise virtually imaged phased arrays (VIPAs) cascaded in cross-axis configuration or heated molecular absorption cells prior to the VIPA. These experimental arrangements are necessary in order to significantly suppress the strong elastic scattering background from the medium. In this talk, we present a different approach for Brillouin spectroscopy of scattering matter based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) amplification. Unlike spontaneous Brillouin scattering, SBS amplification does not show elastic scattering background due to the resonant nature of the amplification process, thereby providing excellent spectral contrast. We demonstrate that the use of two continuous-wave distributed feedback lasers at 780 nm in a counter-propagating SBS amplifier geometry is useful for acquiring high signal-to-noise ratio SBS spectra of Intralipid solutions at concentrations that yield up to ~3 scattering events for photons propagating through the sample. Potential applications of SBS spectroscopy in mechanical characterization of thin tissue sections and biopolymers will be discussed.