Stimulated Raman spectroscopy using low-power cw lasers.

It is demonstrated that stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS) can be performed using cw dye lasers at power levels over six orders of magnitude smaller than those generally associated with pulsed stimulated Raman studies. The preliminary results suggest that cw SRS is a potentially powerful alternative to conventional spontaneous Raman scattering, with resolution limited solely by laser linewidth and sensitivity independent of resolution requirements.