Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

A Multimodal Wide-Field Fourier-Transform Raman Microscope
Published on: December 30, 2025
Modern Raman imaging: vibrational spectroscopy on the micrometer and nanometer scales
Lothar Opilik1, Thomas Schmid, Renato Zenobi
1Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich CH-8093, Switzerland. zenobi@org.chem.ethz.ch
Abstract:
Raman microscopes are currently used in various fields of research because they allow for label-free sample investigation. Moreover, the inherently low scattering cross section of Raman spectroscopy, as well as its diffraction-limited lateral resolution, has been overcome by new Raman microscopy techniques. Nonlinear methods such as coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy and stimulated Raman spectroscopy reduce measurement times and improve z resolution, allowing for three-dimensional spectroscopic imaging of biological samples. Moreover, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, a near-field optical technique that combines scanning-probe microscopy with the enhancement offered by surface-enhanced Raman scattering, enables Raman spectroscopic imaging far below the optical diffraction limit. We cover the theoretical and technical aspects of Raman microscopy and related new imaging techniques and review some very recent applications in graphene research and cell biology.
Related Concept Videos
Raman Spectroscopy: Overview
However, a small fraction of the scattered light exhibits a frequency shift due to the exchange of energy between the incident photons and the...
Raman Spectroscopy Instrumentation: Overview
The monochromatic laser source, typically using visible or near-infrared radiation, generates a highly focused beam of light. This light interacts with the molecules of the sample, scattering some of the light. Liquid and gaseous samples are usually tested in ordinary glass capillaries, while solids can be analyzed as powders packed in capillaries or as potassium...
IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to the...
Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy: Overview
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
Applications of IR Spectroscopy: Overview
