Characterization of high repetition rate laser for time-gated Raman spectroscopy

Time-gated Raman spectroscopy is a special measurement technique where a pulsed laser is used to excite a sample. Time-gated measurement of the scattered radiation allows suppression of sample fluorescence, a dominant noise factor in conventional Raman instrumentation. Laser is one of the key components that impacts the performance and measurement quality of the Raman system. In this thesis, basic laser working principles have been discussed and an ultrafast picosecond laser is characterized and its compatibility examined. Various spectral quality parameters are measured and the laser has been found to be suitable for time-gated Raman spectroscopy.