Raman spectra depend on the chemical composition, structure, and interatomic bonds and the degree of amorphization as well as the orientation of the crystal lattice.

Unknown phases can compared the RRUFF database, which contains a large compiled range of mineral Raman spectra in order to identify minerals.

Maps of single crystals are generated using peak characteristics from the Raman spectra (e.g., peak position, peak width) at high spatial resolutions using the reproducible x-y-z stage of the inVia Qontor microscope. 

ALC has focused on U- and Th-bearing minerals (e.g., zircon, baddeleyite, monazite) where Raman spectroscopy can inform you about the degree of radiation damage and, more recently, extract information about thermal annealing histories.

Raman spectra over large areas can be acquired to generate phase maps to identify minerals and estimate modal percentages within that region.

Raman spectroscopy permits to identify metamict crystals and can be useful in regular studies that rely on U-Pb LA-ICP-MS geochronology. Coupling both datasets provide a very usuful perspective when interpreting provenance and maximum depositional ages in the geological record. For a more detailed explanation on this application, see this poster.

The quartz-in-garnet (QuiG) elastic geothermobarometer calibration uses quartz inclusions trapped in garnet to estimate entrapment pressures based on the Raman shift of quartz peaks.

Luminescence spectroscopy relates to the emission of light from a mineral upon excitation of the laser. For zircon, this corresponds to elemental impurities that have photoluminescence properties (e.g., REE). Due to the wavelength of our laser (633 nm), only light spectra emitted at wavelengths greater than 634 nm can be measured.