The sensitivity of a new spectroscopic technique, photoacoustic Raman spectroscopy (PARS), has been improved substantially by the use of high‐peak‐power pulsed lasers. The theory for generation of photoacoustic signals from stimulated Raman scattering is outlined, and vibration‐rotation Raman spectra for CO2and CH4are presented. Applications of PARS are discussed, and a comparison is made with other Raman techniques.