Patent · US Expired

Heterodyne detection of coherent Raman signals

US4193690A · kind A · utility

124Cited by
0References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 19, 1977
Grant dateMar 18, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 19, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/653
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for heterodyne detection of coherent Raman signals from a Raman active sample exhibiting a Raman-induced Kerr effect. More specifically, a method and apparatus is disclosed for generating a local oscillator output and heterodyning this output with a portion of a probe laser output having its polarization shifted by 90 degrees due to a Raman-induced Kerr effect in a Raman active sample. A probe laser output and a pump laser output are directed into and intersect within the Raman active sample. When their frequency difference is equal to a Raman mode frequency, a non-linear optically induced birefringence in the sample shifts the probe polarization and produces a signal at the output of a polarization analyzer. This signal is heterodyned with a local oscillator output having substantially the same frequency. The local oscillator output is generated either by rotating the polarization analyzer, elliptically polarizing the probe laser output or reflecting a portion of the probe laser output directly into an optical detector. A combining of the local oscillator output and the polarization-shifted probe laser output creates a heterodyned cross-term signal which is …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.