Polarization suppression of the nonresonant background in femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering for flame thermometry at 5 kHz

Abstract

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectra are acquired at 5 kHz in steady and unsteady flames while suppressing the nonresonant background by polarization techniques. Broadband femtosecond (fs) pump and Stokes pulses efficiently excite many Raman transitions in diatomic nitrogen which subsequently interfere and decay. Single-laser-shot measurements are performed as the decay of the Raman coherence is mapped to the frequency of the CARS signal by a chirped-probe pulse (CPP). As temperature increases, more Raman transitions contribute to the Raman coherence which leads to faster decay of the Raman coherence. Experimental fs CARS spectra are compared to a theoretical model to extract temperature measurements. The effects of probe time delay and temperature on nonresonant background suppressed CPP fs CARS spectra are examined. By suppressing the nonresonant background the evolution of the Raman coherence near zero probe time delay is more clearly revealed. The structure of the CPP fs CARS spectra with and without nonresonant background suppression is compared. The utility of polarization suppression of the nonresonant background for CPP fs CARS measurements is discussed.