Ultra-low background Raman sensing using a negative-curvature fibre and no distal optics

Stephanos Yerolatsitis, Fei Yu, Sarah McAughtrie, Michael George Tanner, Holly Fleming, James M. Stone, Colin J. Campbell, Tim A. Birks, Jonathan C. Knight

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)
74 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Measuring Raman spectra through an optical fibre is usually complicated by the high intrinsic Raman scatter of the fibre material. Common solutions such as the use of multiple fibres and distal optics are complex and bulky. We demonstrate the use of single novel hollow-core negative-curvature fibres (NCFs) for Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing using no distal optics. The background Raman emission from the silica in the NCF was at least 1000× smaller than in a conventional solid fibre, while maintaining the same collection efficiency. We transmitted pump light from a 785-nm laser through the NCF, and we collected back the weak Raman spectra of different distal samples, demonstrating the fibre probe can be used for measurements of weak Raman and SERS signals that would otherwise overlap spectrally with the silica background. The lack of distal optics and consequent small probe diameter (<0.25 mm) enable applications that were not previously possible.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere201800239
JournalJournal of Biophotonics
Volume12
Issue number3
Early online date23 Oct 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2019

Keywords

  • Raman fibre probe
  • Raman sensing
  • fibre fabrication
  • hollow-core fibre

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science
  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Engineering
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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