Design and Construction of a Low-Cost Raman Spectrometer For Undergraduate Advanced Laboratory Experiments With Graphene
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Authors
Garai, Máté
Dr. Randolph Peterson
Issue Date
2024-04-26
Type
Poster
Language
en_US
Keywords
Scholarship Sewanee 2024 , University of the South , spectrometer , microscope , Raman , optics , advanced laboratory , experiment , physics , optics , spectroscopy , microscopy
Alternative Title
Abstract
High spatial resolution spectrometers often pose a financial burden to educational institutions due to their high precision fabrication, manufacturing, and maintenance costs associated with using the instrument. An alternative is an in-house design and construction using readily available optical components. This study presents a low-cost Raman spectrometer with an integrated 90X magnification long working distance microscope designed to analyze and characterize graphene and similar two-dimensional materials. These materials have gained significant attention due to their exceptional electronic, mechanical, and thermal properties, necessitating the availability of cost-effective analytical tools, such as a Raman spectrometer. The system is constructed using readily available components, including a 532 nm 300 mW probing laser, a confocal microscope design with integrated Köhler illumination for simultaneous image acquisition, and an education-grade Ocean Optics UV-Vis spectrometer with a customizable open-source LabView application, all within a budget of less than $10,000. The high-magnification microscope incorporated into the design allows for precise sample observation and positioning, thus enhancing the accuracy of graphene identification from Raman measurements on sub-ten micron size samples. We present results from various carbon-based materials, including commercial and exfoliated graphene flakes, along with the detailed layout and design parameters of the apparatus. The intuitive and open-source layout of the design makes it optimal for use in undergraduate advanced laboratory experiments. Students may use it to find, map, and quantitatively analyze exfoliated graphene samples for further experimentation. For students interested in instrumentation, the current design can be customized and improved upon, introducing them to the challenges of the world of optical design. For students interested in condensed matter experimentation, the Raman system serves as a versatile analytical tool for the characterization of materials and the investigation of light-matter interactions in various solid- state samples.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South