Raman Spectroscopy & Imaging
Narrow-linewidth excitation lasers, Raman dichroic + edge filters, imaging spectrographs, and low-noise scientific cameras for confocal Raman, SERS, and Raman microscopy.
Step 1 — Define your goal
What are you trying to achieve?
Pick the experiment / project closest to yours. We'll route you to the right system architecture and BOM.
Step 2 — Confirm the problem
Common project challenges
If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place. WaveQuanta engineers have seen — and solved — every one of them.
Excitation laser linewidth
Sub-MHz (volume-Bragg-stabilized) for high-resolution; sub-GHz for routine. Mode-hop kills your spectrum.
Filter rejection at the laser line
OD ≥ 6 at the laser line is mandatory; otherwise the Rayleigh tail buries the Stokes signal below 100 cm⁻¹.
Fluorescence background (visible)
Switching to 785 / 1064 nm suppresses fluorescence dramatically — at the cost of detector cost (InGaAs).
Spectrometer throughput vs resolution
Long focal length = higher resolution, lower throughput. Imaging spectrograph (IsoPlane class) maximizes both.
Detector noise floor
EMCCD for low-light visible Raman; deep-cooled InGaAs for 1064 nm; back-illuminated CMOS for fast Raman imaging.
Low-frequency Raman (<200 cm⁻¹)
Volume holographic notch filters required to reach 10 cm⁻¹. Standard edge filters cut at 100 cm⁻¹.
Confocal alignment + reproducibility
Pinhole + objective alignment drifts. Auto-alignment + reference standards (RSS) needed.
Environmental control for inline / process
Temperature drift, vibration, ambient light — all kill SNR in production environments.
Step 3 — Understand the system
Typical system architecture
Most projects in this area follow a similar signal flow. Your specific architecture depends on resolution, throughput, and form-factor targets.
Single-mode, narrow-linewidth at 532 / 633 / 785 / 1064 nm.
Variable attenuator, polarization, fiber-coupling.
Edge filter / dichroic / clean-up. OD ≥ 6 at laser line.
XY (or XYZ) scanning stage, focusing optics, sample mount.
Autofocus and confocal pinhole — fundamental to confocal Raman.
Step 4 — Pick the modules
Recommended system modules
These are the building blocks. Each module is a category of products — pick the right brand and grade for your project stage below.
Narrow-Linewidth Excitation Laser
Single-mode, narrow-linewidth at 532 / 633 / 785 / 1064 nm.
- 532 / 785 / 1064 nm CW · narrow linewidth
- 10–500 mW · stabilized
- Volume-Bragg or DBR for sub-MHz
Beam Conditioning & Coupling
Variable attenuator, polarization, fiber-coupling.
- Variable attenuator + λ/2
- Fiber-coupled output (FC/APC)
- Clean-up filter at laser line
Raman Filter Set
Edge filter / dichroic / clean-up. OD ≥ 6 at laser line.
- Dichroic mirror (RT785RDC class)
- Long-pass / notch filters
- Volume holographic option <100 cm⁻¹
Confocal Sample Stage
XY (or XYZ) scanning stage, focusing optics, sample mount.
- Motorized XY stage · sub-100 nm
- Piezoelectric Z (focus)
- Kinematic sample mount
Auto-Focus / Pinhole
Autofocus and confocal pinhole — fundamental to confocal Raman.
- Autofocus module
- Variable pinhole
- Reference standard (RSS) for QC
Imaging Spectrograph
Long-focal-length spectrograph; IsoPlane / SpectraPro class.
- IsoPlane Imaging Spectrograph
- Multi-grating turret
- Cooled CCD / EMCCD interface
Scientific CCD / CMOS / InGaAs
BLAZE for visible, NIRvana for 1064 nm, ProEM for SERS.
- BLAZE Spectroscopy CCD (Vis)
- NIRvana InGaAs (1064 nm)
- ProEM EMCCD (low-light)
Process Analytics / Sampler
Inline probe heads, fiber-coupled sampling for process Raman.
- Process probe head
- Long-fiber sampling kit
- Flow / immersion accessories
Step 5 — Match your project stage
Choose your project stage
Same modules, three configurations sized for where your project is today. Move up the tiers as you progress from research to validation to OEM.
Research Starter
Confocal Raman benchtop · 532 / 785 nm
Standard confocal Raman: narrow-linewidth laser, dichroic + edge filter, IsoPlane spectrograph, BLAZE CCD. Visible or NIR.
- 532 or 785 nm narrow-linewidth
- Raman dichroic + edge filter set
- Motorized XY stage
- IsoPlane Imaging Spectrograph
- BLAZE Spectroscopy CCD
- Reference RSS standard
BOM tier: $80k – $200k
Engineering Validation
Multi-laser Raman imaging · low-frequency
Multi-wavelength Raman imaging (532 + 785 + 1064 nm). Low-frequency capability via volume holographic filters. EMCCD / InGaAs detection.
- 532 / 785 / 1064 nm switchable
- Volume-holographic notch (<100 cm⁻¹)
- Piezo XY-Z confocal stage
- Multi-grating IsoPlane
- ProEM EMCCD + NIRvana InGaAs
- Auto-focus + auto-alignment
- Process probe option
BOM tier: $250k – $600k
OEM Production
Inline / process Raman analyzer
Sealed industrial Raman analyzer for pharma / polymer / bioprocess. Fiber-coupled probes, 21 CFR Part 11 software, IP-rated enclosure.
- Sealed 785 / 1064 nm analyzer
- Fiber-coupled multi-probe
- 21 CFR Part 11 compliant SW
- IP-rated process enclosure
- Calibration & validation pack
- Long-term service contract
BOM tier: $300k+ · contract
Step 6 — Run the numbers
Recommended calculators
Sanity-check your design before talking to an engineer.
Step 7 — Configure the system
Configure your setup with our engineering tools
Two ways to go from "this is what I want to do" to "this is the BOM I need".
Open Confocal Raman Virtual Lab
Lay out the excitation laser, dichroic / edge filters, sample stage, and imaging spectrograph + detector on a 3D bench. Verify rejection budget and export a BOM.
Launch Virtual LabAsk AI to scope my Raman system
Describe your sample, target spectral range, and use case (mapping vs process). AI proposes laser, filters, spectrograph, and detector in 30 seconds.
Open AI ConciergeStep 8 — Anchor SKUs
Featured products for this application
Common picks for this application area. Your final BOM will pull from a wider catalog and be sized to your project tier.
WaveQuanta
765–798 nm Narrow-Linewidth Laser
WaveQuanta
508–513 nm Narrow-Linewidth Laser
LBTek
Raman Dichroic Mirror RT785RDC-UM
LBTek
Raman Spectroscopy Substrate RSS
Princeton Instruments
IsoPlane Imaging Spectrograph
Princeton Instruments
BLAZE Spectroscopy CCD Camera
Princeton Instruments
NIRvana InGaAs Camera (1064 nm Raman)
Princeton Instruments
Acton LS-785 NIR Raman Spectrometer
Step 9 — Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions our application engineers hear most often.
532 / 633 / 785 / 1064 nm — which excitation should I pick?
532 nm: highest Raman cross-section (∝ 1/λ⁴), best for inorganic / non-fluorescent samples. 785 nm: workhorse for biological tissue and pharma — excellent fluorescence suppression. 1064 nm: maximum fluorescence rejection (organic samples) but needs InGaAs detector. 633 nm: niche — resonance Raman of certain dyes.
How tight does the laser linewidth need to be?
For routine Raman: < 0.1 nm (~50 GHz at 785 nm) is plenty. For high-resolution Raman (lattice phonons, narrow vibrational lines): sub-MHz volume-Bragg-stabilized laser. Mode-hops are unforgivable — pick a single-mode source even if it's overkill.
OD requirement for the laser-rejection filter?
For Stokes Raman: OD ≥ 6 at the laser line is the standard. For low-frequency (< 200 cm⁻¹): need volume holographic notch with ultra-steep cutoff. For SERS / weak signals: OD ≥ 8 may be needed.
CCD vs EMCCD vs InGaAs for the detector?
Back-illuminated CCD (BLAZE): best linearity for visible Raman, photon-counting in low-light. EMCCD (ProEM): faster + on-chip gain for SERS / single-molecule. InGaAs (NIRvana): required for 1064 nm Raman; deep cooling + low dark current matter most.
Can I do Raman imaging with this?
Yes — confocal Raman with a piezo XY-Z stage gives 1 µm lateral resolution. Frame rates: 0.1–1 spectrum/sec/pixel typical. Coherent Raman (CARS / SRS) is much faster but requires fs / ps lasers — different system class.
Low-frequency (10–200 cm⁻¹) Raman — what's special?
Standard edge / notch filters cut around 100 cm⁻¹. To reach 10–50 cm⁻¹ you need volume holographic notch filters (BragGate-class). Pricey but essential for studying lattice modes, soft modes, and low-energy excitations.
Process Raman / inline monitoring — what changes?
Sealed laser, fiber-coupled probe (immersion or non-contact), industrial enclosure (IP65), 21 CFR Part 11 software for pharma. Calibration at install + periodic validation. WaveQuanta provides the full validation pack at OEM tier.
SERS substrates — do you supply those?
We supply Raman reference standards (RSS) for system calibration. SERS substrates (Au / Ag nanostructured) are available through partners; we co-engineer SERS systems combining laser + filters + substrate for maximum enhancement factor.
Step 10 — Engineering Review
Application Engineering Review
Tell us your application, current setup, and project context. A WaveQuanta application engineer will return initial recommendations within 1 business day.
- 1 Application
- 2 Current setup
- 3 Project & purchase