An apparatus for carrying out polarization resolved Raman spectroscopy on a sample (11), in particular a crystalline or polycrystalline sample, the apparatus comprises: at least one light source (13, 87, 93, 95, 97), in particular at least one laser, for providing excitation radiation to a surface of the sample (11), an optical system which is configured to simultaneously collect at least one on-axis Raman beam (21, 109) and at least one off-axis Raman beam (23, 111) from Raman light scattered by the sample (11) in response to exposing the surface to the excitation radiation, the at least one on-axis Raman beam (21, 109) being scattered from the sample (11) in a direction that is aligned with an optical axis of an objective (41) of the optical system for collecting the at least one on-axis Raman beam (21, 109), the at least one off-axis Raman beam being scattered from the sample in a direction that is inclined with regard to an optical axis of an objective (41) of the optical system for collecting the at least one off-axis Raman beam (23, 111), the optical system comprises at least one polarizer device (25, 113) for generating at least one polarized on-axis Raman beam (31, 33) from the at least one on-axis Raman beam (21, 109) and at least one polarized off-axis Raman beam (35) from the at least one off-axis Raman beam (23, 111), and the optical system comprises at least one spectrometer (37, 47 81, 83, 85) for generating, in particular simultaneously, an optical spectrum from each of the at least one polarized on-axis Raman beam (31, 33) and the at least one polarized off-axis Raman beam (35).

A spectroscopic ellipsometry system and method for thin film measurement with high spatial resolution. The system includes a rotating compensator so that spectroscopic ellipsometric and imaging ellipsometric data are collected simultaneously with the same measurement beam. Collecting both ellipsometric data sets simultaneously increases the information content for analysis and affords a substantial increase in measurement performance.

The invention discloses a Trace Microanalysis Microscope System for high throughput screening. A multimodal imaging sensor arrangement acquires color, multispectral, hyperspectral and multi-directional polarized imaging, independently and in combinations thereof. In one aspect of this disclosure, the multimodal acquisition is combined with a plurality of sample illumination modes, further expanding the dimensionality of the generated data. In another aspect of this invention, machine learning-based methods combining and comparing a- priori data with the acquired multimodal data space, provide unique identifiers for the composition of the analyzed target objects. In yet another aspect of this invention, projection mapping of the identified compositional features navigates secondary sampling for subsequent analyses.

Disclosed herein are nanostructured plasmonic materials. The nanostructured plasmonic materials can include a first nanostructured layer comprising: a first layer of a first plasmonic material permeated by a first plurality of spaced-apart holes, wherein the first plurality of spaced apart holes comprise a first array; and a second nanostructured layer comprising a second layer of a second plasmonic material permeated by a second plurality of spaced-apart holes, wherein the second plurality of spaced apart holes comprise a second array; wherein the second nanostructured layer is located proximate the first nanostructured layer; and wherein the first principle axis of the first array is rotated at a rotation angle compared to the first principle axis of the second array.

A device for detecting optical chirality includes a metasurface composed of a biperiodic array of nanodisks in the form of a checkerboard array [300], where the nanodisks have diameters d±Δ/2 such that adjacent nanodisks [302, 304] have diameters that differ by an offset Δ. The nanodisks are composed of a dielectric material that is transparent and has a refractive index greater than 2 at a predetermined operational ultraviolet wavelength. The nanodisks have a width-to-height aspect ratio d/h tuned to produce spectral overlap of electric dipole and magnetic dipole modes of incident circularly polarized ultraviolet light.

A method for obtaining chemical and/or material specific information of a sample based on scattered light. The method comprises receiving detection data comprising at least two images. Each image is indicative of the intensity of scattered light i) for incident light of a different wavelength, or ii) for incident light of a different polarization state, or iii) of a different polarization state. The scattered light comprises an elastic scattering component that is due to Rayleigh scattering of the incident light in at least a portion of the sample. Alternatively, each image is indicative of the intensity of scattered light i) of a different wavelength, or ii) for incident light of a different polarization state, or iii) of a different polarization state, wherein the scattered light comprises an inelastic scattering component that is due to Raman scattering of the incident light in at least a portion of the sample. The method further comprises determining the chemical and/or material specific information of the sample based on the change in intensity of the elastic scattering component in dependence on the change in wavelength and/or the change in polarization state of the incident and/or scattered light.

A super class of polarized transverse vector vortex photon beams patterns are mathematically represented here, which are Majorana-like among them are the radial and azimuthal Laguerre-Gaussian, hybrid π-vector beams, and Airy beams. These optical beams are consider spin-orbit coupled beams based on OAM and SAM parts of light. A Majorana photon is a photon that is identical to its anti-photon. It has within itself both chirality, right and left-handed twist in polarization (SAM) and wavefront (OAM). Applications using Majorana photons improve optical deeper imaging, higher resolution imaging, Nonlinear Optics effects (SHG, SRS, SC), optical communication in free space and fibers, quantum computer as basic qubit, and entanglement for security.

The present disclosure in some aspects provides methods for the controlled merging of emulsion droplets, which can be used to assemble useful compositions such as droplets (e.g., stabilized micelles) containing a precise combination of analytes and/or analytical reagents. In some embodiments, disclosed herein is a method, e.g., for detecting the presence/absence, a level or amount, and/or an activity of an analyte in a sample, comprising merging two or more emulsion droplets such that an interaction between an analyte and an analyte-interacting reagent occurs in the merged droplet. The two or more emulsion droplets may be merged using a method for the controlled merging of emulsion droplets disclosed herein.

A method for measuring an element concentration of a material includes: a material sample is irradiated with first electromagnetic waves; second electromagnetic waves radiated by the material sample are obtained under the action of the first electromagnetic waves; material property parameters of the material sample are determined by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and an element concentration of the material sample is determined according to the material property parameters.

A measurement system is disclosed. A measurement system includes an illumination module, a mirror module, a stage, and a detector. The illumination module includes a light source, an optical fiber, a collimating mirror, a polarization state generator, a beam control mirror, and a relay mirror. The mirror module includes a first beam splitter and a reflective objective mirror. The beam control mirror is movable to relay light received from the polarization state generator to various positions on the relay mirror.