Gemma Church explains how a new Raman hyperspectral spectrograph unlocks a fast chemical analysis technique
Long wave infrared (LWIR) spectroscopy is of great interest to spectral geologists. This is because minerals such as quartz, k-feldspar, pyroxene, hornblende, anorthite, calcite, and dolomite are only identifiable in the LWIR range, not in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range. However, Raman spectroscopy is complementary to LWIR spectroscopy, providing fingerprint spectra of these minerals and an alternative identification method. But Raman spectroscopy also provides several additional benefits on the instrument side.
Organoid imaged with Andor’s desktop confocal microscope system, the BC43. Credit: Andor
As microscopes become ever more powerful, a growing band of businesses are racing to make the latest technologies more accessible and more affordable, reports Rebecca Pool
Illustration of a three-dimensional crystal with various types of confining centres. (a) Crystal with four confining centres, each trapping waves (yellow) in all three dimensions simultaneously. (b) Crystal with a linear confining centre where waves can propagate in one dimension, analogous to an optical fibre. (c) Crystal with a planar confining centre where waves can propagate in two dimensions, analogous to a 2D electron gas. (Image: Vos et al.)
Newly discovered fundamental rules have been embedded into software to dramatically optimise the design of photonic integrated circuits
