Single-shot single-beam coherent Raman scattering thermometry based on optically induced air lasing.

Thermometric techniques with high accuracy, fast response and ease of implementation are desirable for the study of dynamic combustion environments, transient reacting flows, and non-equilibrium plasmas. Herein, single-shot single-beam coherent Raman scattering (SS-CRS) thermometry is developed, for the first time to our knowledge, by using air lasing as a probe. We show that the air-lasing-assisted CRS signal has a high signal-to-noise ratio enabling single-shot measurements at a 1 kHz repetition rate. The SS-CRS thermometry consistently exhibits precision of <2.3% at different temperatures, but the inaccuracy grows with the increase in temperature. The high measurement repeatability, 1 kHz acquisition rate and easy-to-implement single-beam scheme are achieved thanks to the unique temporal, spectral and spatial characteristics of air lasing. This work opens a novel avenue for high-speed CRS thermometry, holding tremendous potential for fast diagnostics of transient reacting flows and plasmas.