Choosing the right laser for Raman spectroscopy isn’t particularly an easy task. In the past, I initially proposed to use Thorlabs cheap CPS532 laser which has limited spectral performances that limited the spectrometer resolution to 35 cm-1. I also proposed a more performant solution using Thorlabs DJ532 laser diode which could Read more
Choosing the proper laser for Raman spectroscopy can be a difficult task. You want one that is performant enough but without having to pay the high price for it. Another difficulty adds up when recommending specific laser brands because you also want the lasers to have reproducible performances from user Read more
Operating a laser is far from being a trivial operation. Depending on the exact temperature and current you may experience completely different behaviors! This is illustrated in Figure 1 where you can see the high-resolution spectrum of the same laser diode, the Thorlabs DJ532-40 used in the OpenRAMAN Performance Edition, Read more
In this post I will share some of the most important tips I learned about optical systems assembly and alignment during my career. I will use OpenRAMAN as a teaching example because applying these tips will make a big difference, as much as going from not working to high quality Read more
When I first started the OpenRAMAN project there is one word that resonated for me: accessibility. I wanted the project to bring Raman spectroscopy to as many people as possible, and more specifically to those like me who couldn’t afford a commercial instrument. So it became natural to seek for Read more
One of the main reasons I started the OpenRAMAN project was to enable amateur chemists and students to validate synthesis they used in their home/pet projects. Without metrology instruments, it is impossible to perform science correctly and chemistry is no exception to that. I already discussed the “blind faith” approach Read more
A few months ago I presented the Spectrum Analyzer Suite software with its semi-automated, robust, calibration technology. I’m now taking the occasion of a few days off to detail the algorithm I used there. I haven’t found previous references for such a procedure in the literature, so it’s possible that Read more
Event monitoring is a key feature in debugging applications and should be implemented from the start in your C++ programs. It will later help you discovering the origin of errors when deploying your software to a large variety of computers. In this post, I will cover an easy way to Read more
I recently had the occasion to measure the efficiency of the spectrometer part of the OpenRAMAN setup using a calibrated powermeter (Thorlabs PM100D) at the office and I’m therefore taking the occasion to create a short post on the subject. The spectrometer I tested was actually an adapted version of Read more
One of the main reasons I started working on Raman spectroscopy was the ability to actually observe what was going on during a reaction. Some folk told me one day that chemistry was all about faith: you mix two compounds and even if you don’t see anything you have to Read more