News

The new MaxLine E-Grade optical filters from Semrock offer improved and superior edge steepness for improve blocking of the laser line, and reduced Rayleigh-scattering.

In combination with a RazorEdge filter, these make the ideal pair for Raman Spectroscopy. The MaxLine filter spectrally "cleans up" the excitation laser light before it reaches the sample under test, allowing only the desired laser line to reach the sample. The RazorEdge filter then removes the laser line from the light scattered by the sample, while efficiently transmitting desired light at wavelengths very close to the laser line.

The initial release of the E-Grade MaxLine laser line filters will include version for 488nm, 532nm, 633nm and 785nm.

For further information please contact Julia King or read more.

Oxford Instruments Andor, a world leader in scientific imaging solutions, has today announced the launch of a performance-enhanced back-illuminated sCMOS camera, further strengthening its broad portfolio of cameras for Physical Sciences and Astronomy.

The performance of the Marana 4.2B-6 back-illuminated 4.2 Megapixel sCMOS model has been significantly enhanced to widen its application appeal within Physical Sciences and Astronomy. A new Low Noise Mode reduces the read noise to 1.0e-. When combined with market-leading -45°C vacuum cooling and 95% QE, this pushes the limits of detection further, even under the most challenging, light starved imaging applications, enabling tracking of smaller Space Debris or NEOs, shorter exposures, lower illumination powers to protect photosensitive samples or the detection of trace concentrations of species.

A new High-Speed mode has been implemented to meet the needs of fast imaging applications such as trapped ion/atom quantum computing, solar astronomy, fast spectroscopy or hyperspectral imaging. By combining this mode with a 2-lane CoaXPress connection, 135 fps of sustained and stable high-speed operation is now possible.

Furthermore, a new Long Exposure Mode has been implemented which markedly enhances the exposure flexibility of Marana 4.2B-6. Amplifier glow has been a problem that has plagued most sCMOS sensors on the market. This new mode goes a long way to suppressing the effect of amplifier glow under longer exposure conditions. This is particularly relevant for fields such as astronomy and low light luminescence detection.

A ‘Global Clear’ mode has now been implemented for the Rolling Shutter sensor type. This mode purges charge from all rows of the sensor simultaneously at the exposure start. It can be used alongside a pulsed/triggerable light source, such as LED or Laser, to simulate a Global Shutter mechanism, useful for achieving tight synchronisation with other equipment and minimising exposure 'dead times'.

For further information please contact Michael Buckett, or read more.

The new Metro 300 from Gatan is the latest addition to the cutting-edge counting camera family for groundbreaking imaging, diffraction and in-situ studies.

Metro 300 offers a solution that enables imaging at lower does rates than ever before on 120 - 300 kV microscopes. With virtually no background noise, detection of the smallest signals is now possible. Users can now capture the finest details at the lowest dose rates and high dynamic range performance ensures the detection of weak diffraction spots is never missed.

Features:

• Enables lower dose rates and detection of smallrr signals on your existing microscope
• Stores in-situ, 2k video at <41 fps (Metro) and <50 fps (Metro 300)
• Images the most beam-sensitive specimens
• Captures fine details, and high quality diffraction patterns with virtually no background
• Expansion to 4DSTEM applications with STEMPack3 (utilising STEMx and DigiScan 3)

The standard Metro camera is also available for studies at 60 - 200 kV, offering the same level of superior performance as Metro 300.

For further information please contact Dr Arnab Chakraborty or read more.

Date: Thursday 23 May 2024
Time: 3am NZST, 1am AEST, 11pm AWST (Wed 22 May)
 

The development of new direct electron detection as well as low-noise, high-speed CMOS cameras has enabled an entirely new realm of analytical (scanning) transmission electron microscopy, including 4D STEM and in-situ videography. In this webinar, we will discuss the integration of a ClearView camera into the JEOL ARM200CF at the University of Illinois – Chicago for atomic-resolution, in-situ, and 4D STEM analysis over a range of acceleration voltages and imaging conditions.  Specifically, we will highlight some recent results, including the in-situ transformation of Mg(Mn,Cr)₂O₄, phase analysis in complex oxide thin films, and electrochemistry measurements using an in-situ liquid-cell at elevated temperatures. Imaging with the ClearView camera is combined with high-resolution EELS measurements using the GIF Continuum.  

Presenter:
Robert F. Klie, Ph.D., FMSA
Professor and Head of Department, Department of Physics, University of Illinois Chicago

Date: Friday 10th May, 2024
Time: 3:00am NZST | 1:00am AEST | 11:00pm AWST (Thurs 9th)
Speaker: Adam Wise
If you are not a night owl register for the webinar and you will receive a copy after the event :)

A short introduction to Raman spectroscopy, aimed at those interested in integrating Raman measurements to their experiments.  We will review what information can be revealed by Raman spectroscopy, fundamental limitations, and typical experimental setups in the context of developments in instrumentation over the last few decades.

Some common applications for Raman spectroscopy will be explored, including chemical identification.  A brief and practical overview will be given of some Raman measurement modalities, including resonance Raman, SERS, TERS, mapping, and widefield Raman imaging.  We will contrast Raman spectroscopy to its more popular vibrational cousin, infrared absorption.

Learning Objectives

• What information content a Raman spectrum contains.  What can be trivially learned from examination of a spectrum, and further what small changes in e.g. peak energies can imply. What’s so special about the so-called “fingerprint region”?
• The minimum experimental requirements for measuring Raman spectra, as well as some specialised variations used for more niche applications.
• In what situations Raman spectroscopy can likely be used, and alternatively, when measurement of Raman spectra is likely impossible due to the fundamental limitations of the technique.