UV-Enhanced IR Raman System for Identifying Biohazards

An instrumentation system that would include an ultraviolet (UV) laser or light-emitting diode, an infrared (IR) laser, and the equivalent of an IR Raman spectrometer has been proposed to enable noncontact identification of hazardous biological agents and chemicals. In prior research, IR Raman scattering had shown promise as a means of such identification, except that the Raman-scattered light was often found to be too weak to be detected or to enable unambiguous identification in practical applications. The proposed system (see Figure 1) would utilize UV illumination as part of a two-level optical-pumping scheme to intensify the Raman signal sufficiently to enable positive identification.