Time-frequency resolved analysis of a nanosecond supercontinuum source dedicated to multiplex CARS application

Abstract

In this paper, we describe and investigate the properties of a broadband source designed from a nanosecond microchip laser operating at high repetition rate and dedicated to multiplex-CARS application. We demonstrate that a strong reshaping of the initial pulse profile drastically affects the Stokes wave and therefore represents an important limitation in CARS experiment. In particular, we emphasize the saturation effect of the peak power of the Stokes wave resulting from supercontinuum generation. However, we show that this type of compact system can be particularly suitable for achieving CARS measurement. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America