A new, sensitive, high resolution Raman detector based on ionization

Abstract

A novel detection method for weak pulsed or cw Raman fluxes is described. The detector is based upon the production of Raman scatter with a tunable pulsed or cw dye laser, collecting a large fraction of the Raman scatter and transferring it efficiently into an ionization detector containing a metal (M) vapor, such as Li. The resonance ionization detector (RID) is simultaneously illuminated by a second dye laser. When the second laser is tuned to an excited state transition of the metal vapor M and when the first laser is at such a wavelength that the Raman scatter appears at the ground state absorption transition of the metal, then a current will be produced in the RID which is proportional to the Raman scatter intensity. Both the production and collection of this current can be made very efficient (approaching 100%) and should result in improved sensitivity compared to conventional dispersive or FT Raman techniques. The new approach should be much less sensitive to scatter, should have a spectral resolution better than 0.1 cm −1 and should allow Raman scatter measurements to be made at wavenumbers below 100 cm −1 and under certain conditions to 0.01 cm −1. The approach should be especially useful in highly scattering environments like Ag-sols in surface enhanced Raman and should be useful for detection of ultratrace levels of drugs and metabolites in biological fluids. The Raman-RID approach should also be useful for resonance Raman since laser scatter and molecular fluorescence should have minimal effects.