Improving sensitivity in nonlinear Raman microspectroscopy imaging and sensing.

Nonlinear Raman microspectroscopy based on a broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering is an emerging technique for noninvasive, chemically specific, microscopic analysis of tissues and large population of cells and particles. The sensitivity of this imaging is a critical aspect of a number of the proposed biomedical application. It is shown that the incident laser power is the major parameter controlling this sensitivity. By careful optimizing the laser system, the high-quality vibrational spectra acquisition at the multi-kHz rate becomes feasible.