Physicist Robert Huber, who leads a junior research group at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU; Munich, Germany), plans to study ways of extending Raman spectroscopy by speeding up data acquisition rates using a new class of laser. Several approaches have been proposed to achieve this goal, but, in most cases, it is not yet possible to obtain undistorted signals (the scattered light) over the spectral range of interest with the desired sensitivity.
Dr. Huber developed a Fourier-domain modelocked (FDML) laser to solve the problem of obtaining scattered light quickly. FDML lasers are currently used for optical coherence tomography (OCT) in medical imaging, but they also have great potential in Raman spectroscopy, where they promise to provide a significant improvement in the performance of systems employed for spectroscopy and microscopy. This, in turn, might make it possible to apply the technique in situations where its use is currently impractical.
Dr. Huber becomes the latest recipient of one of the coveted Starting Grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) to support this work. The grant is worth €1.2 million over a period of five years.
Source: Ludwig Maximilian University Munich
Posted by Lee Mather
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