Raman Sensor Network

Swept-source Raman spectroscopy uses a tunable laser and a fixed-wavelength detector instead of a spectrometer or interferometer to perform Raman spectroscopy with the throughput advantage of Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy without bulky optics or moving mirrors. Although the tunable laser can be larger and more costly than a fixed wavelength diode laser used in other Raman systems, it is possible to split and switch the laser light to multiple ports simultaneously and/or sequentially. Each site can be monitored by its own fixed-wavelength detector. This architecture can be scaled by cascading fiber switches and/or couplers between the tunable laser and measurement sites. By multiplexing measurements at different sites, it is possible to monitor many sites at once. Moreover, each site can be meters to kilometers from the tunable laser. This makes it possible to perform swept-source Raman spectroscopy at many points across a continuous flow manufacturing environment with a single laser.