Raman can be used to analyse many different samples.

In general it is suitable for analysis of:

• Solids, powders, liquids, gels, slurries and gases
• Inorganic, organic and biological materials
•  Pure chemicals, mixtures and solutions

In general it is not suitable for analysis of:

• Metals and their alloys

Typical examples of where Raman is used today include:

• Art and archaeology – characterisation of pigments, ceramics and gemstones
• Carbon materials – structure and purity of nanotubes, defect/disorder characterisation
• Chemistry – structure, purity, and reaction monitoring
• Geology – mineral identification and distribution, fluid inclusions and phase transitions
• Life sciences – single cells and tissue, drug interactions, disease diagnosis
• Pharmaceutics – content uniformity and component distribution
• Semiconductors – purity, alloy composition, intrinsic stress/strain