Understanding Raman Spectroscopy

A short introduction to Raman spectroscopy, aimed at those interested in integrating Raman measurements to their experiments. We will review what information can be revealed by Raman spectroscopy, fundamental limitations, and typical experimental setups in the context of developments in instrumentation over the last few decades. Some common applications for Raman spectroscopy will be explored, including chemical identification. A brief and practical overview will be given of some Raman measurement modalities, including resonance Raman, SERS, TERS, mapping, and widefield Raman imaging. We will contrast Raman spectroscopy to its more popular vibrational cousin, infrared absorption. Adam Wise is an applications scientist at Andor Technology, specializing in spectroscopy and scientific cameras. He earned his PhD working with John Grey at the University of New Mexico, studying Raman spectroscopy of organic semiconductors. After postdoctoral research at UMass Amherst, he entered the field of optical instrumentation and continues to support research by helping scientists get the right cutting-edge tools.