Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy of Infrared Multiphoton Excited Molecules

Abstract:

Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy is used to obtain the rovibrational energy distributions in polyatomic molecules following infrared multiphoton excitation. In addition to presenting new results on SF6, we review previously obtained data on SO2 and OCS. The data yield new details about infrared multiphoton excitation and intramolecular vibrational energy relaxation. In particular they show the significance of collisions in redistributing vibrational energy following excitation. The results also clearly show stronger inter-mode coupling and higher excitation in systems with increasing numbers of atoms per molecule.