Background-free coherent Raman spectroscopy by detecting the spectral phase of molecular vibrations

We propose and demonstrate a new approach to subtracting high nonresonant background in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy. The method is based on the retrieval of the spectral phase of molecular vibrations using the technique of frequency-resolved optical gating of Raman scattering. In the presence of high nonresonant background the retrieved phase corresponds directly to the background-free spectrum of the coherent Raman response. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.