Originally funded by the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), the NMRC hosts a state of the art high speed imaging Raman system; the Horiba LabRAM HR.
Raman spectroscopy and microscopy provides a uniquely sensitive tool for the non-invasive identification of the chemical and physical state of a wide range of samples, rapidly providing quantifiable identification of bulk and surface species. It is a technique which is used to study the vibrational (and other low-frequency) modes in a system, typically in the range 50 – 4000 cm-1.
Inelastic scattering of laser light off the sample results in a shift of the energy of the scattered photons. This shift gives information about the vibrational modes in the system. Infrared spectroscopy yields similar, but complementary, information.
The LabRAM HR system can be used as a traditional Raman spectrometer to provide vibrational spectra of chemicals, but the most powerful feature of this instrument is its ability to quickly produce confocal images. Four different laser wavelengths are available spanning the UV-Visible-NIR regions giving the user access to an excitation source to match their sample.
The confocal set-up of the microscope gives rise to both clearer images (by reducing contributions from out-of-focus background regions) and the ability to perform depth profiling studies of samples. This instrument is ideally suited for materials and pharmaceutical characterisation, tissue imaging and chemical identification.