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S&I qualifies the C-WAVE tunable laser for use with their TriVista spectrometer

The combination of a widely tunable spectrometer and widely tunable laser advances resonant Raman spectroscopy

WARSTEIN, April 29, 2021: S&I Spectroscopy & Imaging GmbH, a developer of high-performance spectrometers, today announced it has qualified the C-WAVE tunable laser from HÜBNER Photonics for use with their TriVista spectrometer system. The combination of the C-WAVE widely tunable continuous-wave (cw) single frequency lasers (covering wavelengths from 450 nm up to 3.5 µm) with the triple-grating spectrometer TriVista is expected to become a new standard for resonance Raman spectroscopy and microscopy.

“We are delighted to work with a renowned partner like S&I in order to help them advance the state of the art in resonance Raman spectrometers. The TriVista spectrometer with its exceptional resolution, sensitivity, and linearity over wide spectral ranges is a powerful instrument that revealed deep insights about the C-WAVE’s spectral performance. We are thankful for the excellent collaboration and the valuable feedback,” says Korbinian Hens, Chief Operating Officer and R&D Manager at HÜBNER Photonics Kassel.

“The combination of the TriVista spectrometer with the C-WAVE is a powerful and flexible solution for resonant spectroscopy methods, especially for the challenging low-frequency Raman range < 10 cm-1. The extremely narrow linewidth and very stable emission frequency of the C-WAVE paired with its outstanding spectral purity allows recording impressive Raman spectra: we were able to measure low frequency Raman bands at or below 5 cm-1 from the excitation wavelength even without filtering the excitation beam,” says Nils Timpe, Head of Sales at S&I.

For applications in Raman spectroscopy, most tunable lasers require elaborative filtering to suppress unwanted amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) which can cover the weak Raman signals. Cleaning up the laser’s emission spectrum can be challenging especially for the low-frequency Raman range close to the excitation wavelength. During qualification, the C-WAVE revealed no detectable ASE. Figure 1 shows a Raman spectrum of an L-Cystin sample recorded at excitation wavelengths of 455 nm and 520 nm.

Figure 1: Raman spectra of L-Cystine recorded at two excitation wavelengths employing the TriVista spectrometer from S&I with triple monochromator system (Teledyne Princeton Instruments Spectra Pro 750 HRS) in the high-resolution, subtractive mode with three gratings (2400 lines/mm), Princeton Instruments Pixis:256E detector cooled to -70°C (-90°F), and C-WAVE tunable laser from HÜBNER Photonics as the excitation source. The L-Cystin sample placed in a glass cuvette was measured in a non-confocal macro chamber at an incidence-angle of 60° to the resulting Raman beam path. The C-WAVE laser and TriVista spectrometer are shown to the right.

“The integration of the C-WAVE with our TriVista system went smoothly. The user-friendly software and automatic tuning functionality made it easy to control the laser. It is impressive that the C-WAVE’s beam position and pointing is so stable even after tuning over a range of 200 nm across the visible spectrum. This fact in combination with the perfect Gaussian beam profile reduces the complexity of the optical setup and helps speed up experimental work,” says Jannick Saatz, R&D engineer at S&I.

About S&I Spectroscopy & Imaging GmbH
S&I is a developer and manufacturer of high-end confocal Raman and photoluminescence spectrometer and microscope systems. Founded in 1995, by former Princeton Instruments employees S&I is headquartered in Warstein, Germany, and still closely collaborates with Teledyne Princeton Instruments in the Greater Boston Area, MA, USA, which manufactures and sells the TriVista spectrometers for the American and Asian market. www.s-and-i.de

About HÜBNER Photonics
HÜBNER Photonics offers a wide range of single and multi-line lasers from Cobolt, the tunable cw-laser C-WAVE, and laser combiners for microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, LIBS, DLS, interferometry, nanophotonics and quantum research. These products help enhance human well-being and security, increase quality and efficiency in industrial processes and improve our environment. HÜBNER is headquartered in Kassel, Germany, with local sales and support offices in UK, USA and Sweden. www.hubner-photonics.com