Turbocharging Raman Measurements with High-Throughput Virtual Slit Spectrometers

Although Raman spectroscopy is a powerful and flexible analytical tool, Raman signals are usually quite weak – for most molecules fewer than one Raman scattered photon is generated from one million incident laser photons – so spectrometer efficiency (sensitivity) is of utmost importance. Furthermore, Raman spectral bands are often both narrow and closely spaced. Traditional slit spectrometers require a very narrow input slit to achieve high spectral resolution and therefore have poor optical throughput, limiting their effectiveness in low light level scenarios like Raman spectroscopy. A spectrometer design that incorporates Tornado’s HTVS™ (High-Throughput Virtual Slit) technology avoids this trade-off between sensitivity and spectral resolution and thus enhances overall system performance, making measurement of weak Raman signals a practical reality. A Raman measurement that is intended for quantification needs to be fast, accurate, and precise, encapsulating the best possible resolution in both wavelength and intensity. This white paper describes the proprietary HyperFlux™ optical spectrometer designs developed by Tornado Spectral Systems using its core HTVS™ technology.