Development of a simplified dual-pump dual-broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering system

A dual-pump dual-broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) setup for simultaneous pure rotational and vibrational CARS is further developed by reducing the experimental efforts due to the use of only one detection system. With this system dual-pump CARS for probing ro-vibrational transitions of N-2/CO/H-2 and dual-broadband CARS for pure rotational transitions of N-2/O-2/CO/CO2 are applicable simultaneously. In this work the improvements to the setup and the data evaluation are described. First simultaneous temperature and concentration results from cell measurements and from a partially premixed propane flame are presented. Interference effects due to smeared vibrational CARS are investigated. It is shown that with similar experimental effort to a conventional dual-pump CARS setup considerably more information can be gained. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America