Frequency–time and time–space mappings for single‐shot coherent four‐wave mixing with chirped pulses and broad beams

Abstract

AbstractThe possibilities of using chirped pulses and broad beams for single‐shot measurements in coherent four‐wave mixing (FWM) are examined. The idea of such measurements is based on the fact that chirped pulses define a linear transform, mapping the difference between the instantaneous frequencies of pump pulses on to the delay time between these pulses. This delay between the pump pulses can be then mapped onto the spatial coordinate with the use of a broad‐beam FWM geometry. We consider various modifications of chirped‐pulse FWM techniques, including degenerate and non‐degenerate four‐wave mixing, coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering and Raman‐induced Kerr effect. The ways of extending the single‐shot broad‐beam FWM concept to multidimensional wave‐mixing techniques are discussed, and the possibilities of full reconstruction of the third‐order non‐linear optical susceptibility in the time domain as a function of its time variables for non‐stationary molecular systems are explored. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.