Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering: from proof-of-the-principle experiments to femtosecond CARS and higher order wave-mixing generalizations

A review of CARS evolution from proof-of-the principle experiments to recent CARS developments, including femtosecond CARS and higher order wave-mixing spectroscopy generalizations, is given, with the main emphasis placed on the discussion of physically new ideas and promising directions of CARS studies.