Generation and propagation of a resonant CARS signal from biomolecules: Application to dipicolinic acid

Abstract

Abstract We develop a theoretical approach and perform simulations of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) with ultrashort laser pulses. The signal is generated by biomolecules having subpicosecond dephasing times, from femtosecond pulses on exact resonance with the molecular transitions. All propagation effects are explicitly accounted for, including pump depletion, Raman amplification, parametric generation and pulse reshaping. Our model predicts that a measurable CARS signal can be generated by the dipicolinic acid biomolecule under realistic conditions.