Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a popular technique for detecting and analyzing molecules at very low concentrations. The sensitivity of SERS is high enough to detect single molecules. It has proven difficult, however, to perform similar measurements in the so-called nonlinear optical regime, a regime in which the molecule is responding to multiple light pulses. Nonetheless, recent experiments indicate that after careful optimization, it is possible to generate signals derived from nonlinear analogs of SERS. Such measurements make it possible to view molecular vibrations in real time, which amounts to the femto- to pico-second range. In this contribution, we discuss in detail under which conditions detectable surface-enhanced coherent Raman signals can be expected, provide experimental evidence of coherent Raman scattering of single molecules, and highlight the unique information that can be attained from such measurements.

Date Published: 2 November 2016
PDF: 1 pages
Proc. SPIE 9956, Ultrafast Nonlinear Imaging and Spectroscopy IV, 99560A (2 November 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2237208

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9956:
Ultrafast Nonlinear Imaging and Spectroscopy IV
Zhiwen Liu, Editor(s)