Design overview
After a thorough analysis, we concluded that only the following components are needed to obtain a discernible Raman spectrum with SERS:
- A monochromatic excitation source to induce Raman scattering from the sample
- An optical pathway that guides the scattered photons from the source (sample) to the detector
- An optical filter in front of the entrance slit that attenuates elastically-scattered photons
- A detector comprising a diffracting grating, a collimator lens, a CCD array detector, and a Wi-Fi transmitter
- A battery that supplies power to the detector, the excitation source, and other electrical components such LED indicators