Application of a backside-illuminated charge-coupled-device camera for single-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy N(2) thermometry.

The application of an unintensified backside-illuminated CCD for the acquisition of broadband single-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) spectra is demonstrated. This CCD shows a quantum efficiency 5 times higher than a front-illuminated CCD and offers significant advantages compared with intensified linear photodiode array detectors generally used for single-pulse CARS thermometry. It overcomes the main drawbacks of the intensified linear photodiode array detector in single-pulse CARS N(2) spectroscopy: nonlinearity, limited dynamic range, and image persistence. A method for extending the dynamic range is demonstrated in a highly turbulent flame.