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An investigation of single pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) noise, determined by the analysis of broadband nonresonant spectra, is described. It is shown that the use of a single-mode rather than a multimode pump laser leads to a significant reduction of CARS noise (40%), down to the level exhibited by the Stokes spectral profile itself. This reduction in noise is attributed to the minimization of the effects due to random variations in the laser temporal profiles by using temporally smooth single-mode laser pumps. A measurement of detector shot noise is presented and its effect on CARS noise is described. The advantages of using a single-mode pump laser in CARS spectroscopy are discussed.

In this work time-resolved laser-induced incandescence (TiRe LII) has been employed to measure primary particle diameters of soot in an atmospheric laminar ethylene diffusion flame. The generated data set complements existing data determined in one single location and takes advantage of the good spatial resolution of the ICCD detection. Time resolution is achieved by shifting the camera gate along the LII decay. One key input parameter for the analysis of time-resolved LII is the local flame temperature. This was determined on a grid throughout the flame by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. The accurate temperature data, in combination with other published data from this flame, are well suited for soot model validation purposes while we showed feasibility of a shifted gate approach to deduce 2D particle sizes in the chosen standard flame.

The noise in single-shot coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) spectroscopy that employs a broadband modeless dye laser (MDL) is examined and the results are compared with those of a conventional dye laser. The noise of the dye-laser, the nonresonant CARS, and the resonant N(2) CARS signals are determined. The use of a MDL is shown to result in substantially reduced CARS noise when the CARS signal is generated with a single-mode pump laser, but only a marginal reduction of noise is observed with a multimode pump source The noise measurements are compared with theoretical predictions that are based on models that assume modes of random amplitudes and phases in the multimode laser sources. The combination of a MDL and a single-mode pump laser is shown to increase the precision of single-shot N(2) CARS temperature measurements.