Compact integrated optical system for a tip-enhanced Raman spectrometer.

Abstract

A compact integrated optical system is presented to overcome the low optical efficiency, poor coordination, bulk size, and high cost of a traditional tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) instrument. In this optical system, the excitation and collection optics are integrated with white light illumination and micro-imaging optics and Raman spectrometer optics. The optics are simplified, the optical path is decreased, and the Raman spectrometer structure is improved. The integrated optical system has high optical efficiency, high resolving power, and compact size; it is designed to couple with a specific homemade STM head and cooperative control circuit to develop a small integrated TERS instrument.