Raman spectroscopy can provide elegant views of even the most mixed of materials at the sub-microscopic scale, even picking out chemical bonds. And, because it is sensitive to the lightweight elements found in covalent bonds it can provide detailed information that is inaccessible to sophisticated X-ray techniques. However, Raman is yet to be widely adopted because it suffers from potentially debilitating resolution issues and takes too long for all but the most patient of laboratories.
Now. French researchers have found a way to create a map of the incident laser beam used in Raman spectroscopy which brings it up to speed and could make it a more accessible technique.
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