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COvariance Based RAman Spectrometer (COBRAS)

Project description

New spectroscopic technique to study material non-linearities

Nonlinear optics describes the behaviour of light in non-linear media. The EU-funded COBRAS project will use a new spectroscopic technique to measure the non-linear optical response of materials to light by combining stochastic light pulses with a covariance-based technique. Using pulses with uncorrelated spectral fluctuations, researchers will leverage the signal noise and view each repetition of the experiment as a measurement under different conditions rather than the same experiment. Researchers expect that the new spectroscopic technique will represent a paradigmatic change in optical spectroscopy, potentially unveiling a new market ranging across different industrial and scientific spectroscopic applications.

Objective

In COBRAS we will establish Femtosecond Covariance Spectroscopy, a new spectroscopic technique to measure the optical response of material which is based on stochastic light pulses characterized by frequency uncorrelated intensity fluctuation. By using light with different property every repetition, each reiteration of the experiment can be considered as a measurement under new conditions rather than a repetition of the same experiment. Crucially, within the ERC_StG project INCEPT we have demonstrated that in this limit the frequency of the Raman modes of a sample can be retrieved by measuring the spectral correlations in different pulses which are induced by the interaction with the sample. This is in striking contrast with standard approaches to Raman spectroscopy which are based on the measurement of the integrated emission of Raman sidebands at a given frequency and therefore require a high stability and low noise detection which can be reached only at a significant expense. Conversely, in covariance-based methods noise is a resource that can be exploited (rather than an impediment) and a much simpler and cheaper architecture for the spectrometer can be envisioned.

The central idea of COBRAS is to set the way for commercial exploitation of covariance-based approaches to Raman spectroscopy. To this purpose we will develop a prototype spectrometer, study the general applicability of the covariance based methods and identify viable strategies for the commercialization of the spectrometer developed. We stress that the concept proposed here for Raman spectroscopy can be extended to different optical techniques and wavelength ranges. This make us confident that the COBRAS investment may represent a paradigmatic change in the approach to optical spectroscopy, potentially disclosing a new market across different industrial and scientific spectroscopic applications.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Pilot

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2019-PoC

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Host institution

ELETTRA - SINCROTRONE TRIESTE SCPA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 150 000,00
Address
SS 14 KM 163.5 AREA SCIENCE PARK
34149 Basovizza Trieste
Italy

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Region
Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

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Beneficiaries (1)

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