Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components
Confocal Raman microscopic (CRM) imaging has evolved to become a key tool for spatially resolved, compositional analysis and imaging, down to the μm-scale, and nowadays one may choose between numerous commercial instruments. That notwithstanding, situations may arise which exclude the use of a comme...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/24/10013 |
| _version_ | 1797455342355873792 |
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| author | Deseada Diaz Barrero Genrich Zeller Magnus Schlösser Beate Bornschein Helmut H. Telle |
| author_facet | Deseada Diaz Barrero Genrich Zeller Magnus Schlösser Beate Bornschein Helmut H. Telle |
| author_sort | Deseada Diaz Barrero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Confocal Raman microscopic (CRM) imaging has evolved to become a key tool for spatially resolved, compositional analysis and imaging, down to the μm-scale, and nowadays one may choose between numerous commercial instruments. That notwithstanding, situations may arise which exclude the use of a commercial instrument, e.g., if the analysis involves toxic or radioactive samples/environments; one may not wish to render an expensive instrument unusable for other uses, due to contamination. Therefore, custom-designed CRM instrumentation—being adaptable to hazardous conditions and providing operational flexibility—may be beneficial. Here, we describe a CRM setup, which is constructed nearly in its entirety from off-the-shelf optomechanical and optical components. The original aim was to develop a CRM suitable for the investigation of samples exposed to tritium. For increased flexibility, the CRM system incorporates optical fiber coupling to both the Raman excitation laser and the spectrometer. Lateral raster scans and axial profiling of samples are facilitated by the use of a motorized xyz-translation assembly. Besides the description of the construction and alignment of the CRM system, we also provide (i) the experimental evaluation of system performance (such as, e.g., spatial resolution) and (ii) examples of Raman raster maps and axial profiles of selected thin-film samples (such as, e.g., graphene sheets). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:52:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4ae94f77cff4841a49acd8a85cf39bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:52:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4ae94f77cff4841a49acd8a85cf39bf2023-11-24T17:59:05ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-12-0122241001310.3390/s222410013Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical ComponentsDeseada Diaz Barrero0Genrich Zeller1Magnus Schlösser2Beate Bornschein3Helmut H. Telle4Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, SpainTritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK), Institute for Astroparticle Physics (IAP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GermanyTritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK), Institute for Astroparticle Physics (IAP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GermanyTritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK), Institute for Astroparticle Physics (IAP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GermanyDepartamento de Química Física Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, SpainConfocal Raman microscopic (CRM) imaging has evolved to become a key tool for spatially resolved, compositional analysis and imaging, down to the μm-scale, and nowadays one may choose between numerous commercial instruments. That notwithstanding, situations may arise which exclude the use of a commercial instrument, e.g., if the analysis involves toxic or radioactive samples/environments; one may not wish to render an expensive instrument unusable for other uses, due to contamination. Therefore, custom-designed CRM instrumentation—being adaptable to hazardous conditions and providing operational flexibility—may be beneficial. Here, we describe a CRM setup, which is constructed nearly in its entirety from off-the-shelf optomechanical and optical components. The original aim was to develop a CRM suitable for the investigation of samples exposed to tritium. For increased flexibility, the CRM system incorporates optical fiber coupling to both the Raman excitation laser and the spectrometer. Lateral raster scans and axial profiling of samples are facilitated by the use of a motorized xyz-translation assembly. Besides the description of the construction and alignment of the CRM system, we also provide (i) the experimental evaluation of system performance (such as, e.g., spatial resolution) and (ii) examples of Raman raster maps and axial profiles of selected thin-film samples (such as, e.g., graphene sheets).https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/24/10013confocal Raman microscopyhyper-spectral imaginggraphene reference samples |
| spellingShingle | Deseada Diaz Barrero Genrich Zeller Magnus Schlösser Beate Bornschein Helmut H. Telle Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components Sensors confocal Raman microscopy hyper-spectral imaging graphene reference samples |
| title | Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components |
| title_full | Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components |
| title_fullStr | Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components |
| title_full_unstemmed | Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components |
| title_short | Versatile Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope Built from Off-the-Shelf Opto-Mechanical Components |
| title_sort | versatile confocal raman imaging microscope built from off the shelf opto mechanical components |
| topic | confocal Raman microscopy hyper-spectral imaging graphene reference samples |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/24/10013 |
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