Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer: Construction, Characterization and Application

The protection and safety of first responders is of the utmost importance when assessing a location. Inspecting a site for chemical, biological or toxic threats at safe distances is an ongoing challenge for the military and private sector. A spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) may provide a solution to this problem. Combining the identification and standoff abilities of a Raman spectrometer with the high throughput of the Michelson interferometer, the SHRS could rapidly identify threats at distances safe for personnel.;In the following thesis the construction and characterization of a table mounted SHRS will be detailed. Interference patterns were collected from specific chemical samples and processed to obtain their Raman spectrum. Reconfiguration of the SHRS was performed to collect interference patterns from samples at standoff distances and analyze larger surface areas. Simulated data was generated to probe the effects instrument misalignments and frequency mixing.