Fiber Optic Raman Spectrometer for Nondestructive Evaluation of Advanced Materials

Physical Optics Corporation (POC), R&D Division, proposes to develop a fiber optic Raman spectrometer (FORS) system for the remote nondestructive evaluation of advanced materials. The proposed FORS system permits the in-situ, real-time, quantitative inspection of surface cracks and defects in advanced materials without elaborate sample preparation. The FORS system uses a recently developed technique that measures the stress-related peak shifts of the Raman spectra of advanced materials. The proposed FORS system will remotely measure the micro-stress distribution associated with changes in the vibrational forces between molecules in advanced materials. The FORS system uses a low-cost Raman spectrometer coupled to optical fiber for light delivery and signal pick-up, and an x-y stage for 3-dimensional surface stress mapping.