Raman Imaging and Spectrometers
HORIBA is the world leader in Raman spectroscopy, with the benefits of more than 50 years of innovation in the technique.
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By Jocelyne MARCIANO, Raman Application Specialist, HORIBA France, and Christoph LENZ, Raman Application Specialist, HORIBA Jobin Yvon Germany
The characterization of geological materials requires precise, non-destructive, and spatially resolved analytical techniques capable of probing both chemical composition and mineral phase identification and interpretation. HORIBA offers a comprehensive suite of analytical instruments that have become essential tools in the fields of geology and mineralogy, particularly for the analysis of complex and heterogeneous samples.
Among these, Raman spectroscopy stands out as a highly valuable technique for the investigation of minerals, rocks, and organic matter. Raman systems such as the HORIBA LabRAM Odyssey provide high spectral resolution and micrometer-scale spatial precision, enabling the identification of mineral phases, assessment of structural disorder / crystallinity, and evaluation of structural transformations, e.g., strain/stress, linked to thermal- and/or pressure induced, metamorphic, or diagenetic processes. One of the key advantages of Raman spectroscopy is its ability to operate without sample preparation, making it ideal for fragile or precious specimens, including extraterrestrial materials and mineralogical, geological or gemological collections. When combined with complementary HORIBA techniques such as micro-XRF (e.g., XGT-9000) for elemental mapping, the resulting multimodal workflows enable a comprehensive understanding of geological materials in both compositional and structural dimensions.
In addition, Raman spectroscopy allows for the direct analysis of solid-state organic, carbonaceous matter such as kerogen, coal, and bitumen, offering insights into molecular ordering and thermal maturity through analysis of characteristic vibrational bands (e.g., D and G bands).
As demonstrated in recent studies, HORIBA Raman and XRF platforms provide robust, high-sensitivity solutions for modern geoscientific research, supporting applications ranging from petroleum system evaluation to planetary exploration and mineral alteration.
Seyedalireza Khatibi, Mehdi Ostadhassan, David Tuschel, Thomas Gentzi and Humberto Carvajal-Ortiz (2018) [1]
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Raman spectroscopy as a high-resolution method for assessing the thermal maturity of kerogen from the Bakken Formation. Traditional approaches such as vitrinite reflectance and Rock-Eval pyrolysis often face limitations, especially when vitrinite is absent or dispersed. Raman spectroscopy, as performed using the HORIBA LabRAM Raman spectrometer, enables the detection of structural changes in organic matter, particularly the evolution of aromaticity and the reduction of heteroatoms with increasing maturity.
To enhance spectral quality, kerogen was isolated from the mineral matrix, significantly reducing fluorescence background—especially in lower maturity samples. Raman parameters such as D and G band positions and their separation showed strong correlation with conventional thermal maturity indicators (e.g., %VRo, Tmax) and hydrocarbon generation potential (S1, S2). The study highlights the potential of Raman spectroscopy not only to complement but potentially replace more invasive and time-consuming techniques in organic geochemical analysis. The precise and reproducible measurements provided by the HORIBA system underscore its value in unconventional reservoir characterization and the broader field of geochemical maturation studies.
Mayu Morita, Hiroharu Yui,* Shu-hei Urashima, Morihiko Onose, Shintaro Komatani, Izumi Nakai, Yoshinari Abe, Yasuko Terada, Hisashi Homma, Kazuko Motomura, Kiyohiro Ichida, Tetsuya Yokoyama, Kazuhide Nagashima, Jérôme Aléon, Conel M. O’D. Alexander, Sachiko Amari, Yuri Amelin, Ken-ichi Bajo, Martin Bizzarro, Audrey Bouvier, Richard W. Carlson, Marc Chaussidon, Byeon-Gak Choi, Nicolas Dauphas, Andrew M. Davis, Wataru Fujiya, Ryota Fukai, Ikshu Gautam, Makiko K. Haba, Yuki Hibiya, Hiroshi Hidaka, Peter Hoppe, Gary R. Huss, Tsuyoshi Iizuka, Trevor R. Ireland, Akira Ishikawa, Shoichi Itoh, Noriyuki Kawasaki, Noriko T. Kita, Kouki Kitajima, Thorsten Kleine, Sasha Krot, Ming-Chang Liu, Yuki Masuda, Frédéric Moynier, Ann Nguyen, Larry Nittler, Andreas Pack, Changkun Park, Laurette Piani, Liping Qin, Tommaso Di Rocco, Sara S. Russell, Naoya Sakamoto, Maria Schönbächler, Lauren Tafla, Haolan Tang, Kentaro Terada, Tomohiro Usui, Sohei Wada, Meenakshi Wadhwa, Richard J. Walker, Katsuyuki Yamashita, Qing-Zhu Yin, Shigekazu Yoneda, Edward D. Young, Ai-Cheng Zhang, Tomoki Nakamura, Hiroshi Naraoka, Takaaki Noguchi, Ryuji Okazaki, Kanako Sakamoto, Hikaru Yabuta, Masanao Abe, Akiko Miyazaki, Aiko Nakato, Masahiro Nishimura, Tatsuaki Okada, Toru Yada, Kasumi Yogata, Satoru Nakazawa, Takanao Saiki, Satoshi Tanaka, Fuyuto Terui, Yuichi Tsuda, Sei-ichiro Watanabe, Makoto Yoshikawa, Shogo Tachibana, and Hisayoshi Yurimoto (2024) [2]
This study presents results from the non-invasive analytical methods micro, energy dispersive, X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) and micro Raman spectroscopy, both performed using advanced HORIBA instrumentation—specifically, the HORIBA XGT-9000 micro-XRF system and the HORIBA LabRAM HR Evolution Raman microscope. These methods were applied to characterize micrometer-scale carbonate grains on the surface of pristine particles collected from asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission.
The HORIBA XGT-9000 enabled rapid elemental mapping to locate carbonate phases by detecting co-distributions of Ca2+ and Mn2+ in a Mg- and Fe-rich phyllosilicate matrix. Subsequently, Raman micro-spectroscopy with the LabRAM HR Evolution allowed for matrix-effect-free quantification of cation substitutions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+ + Mn2+) within the dolomite grains, through systematic shifts in lattice vibrational modes.
This dual approach provided accurate compositional data without any surface polishing or destructive preparation, preserving the integrity of these rare extraterrestrial samples. The ability of HORIBA systems to perform high-resolution, contactless, and chemically selective analyses makes them indispensable for the study of complex, fragile materials such as meteorites, planetary regoliths, and other micrometer-scale geological specimens.
Christoph Lenz, Lutz Nasdala, Dominik Talla, Christoph Hauzenberger, Roland Seitz, Uwe Kolitsch (2015) [3]
This study investigates the phenomenon of laser-induced photoluminescence (PL) of trivalent rare-earth elements (REE3+) in common accessory minerals—titanite, monazite-(Ce), xenotime-(Y), and zircon—and its implications for Raman spectroscopy. What is often considered an analytical artefact, the REE3+ PL, is here re-evaluated as a potentially advantageous feature for mineral characterization.
Raman and PL measurements were conducted using HORIBA LabRAM HR Evolution and HORIBA LabRAM HR800 Raman spectrometers, equipped with multiple laser excitation wavelengths (473, 532, 633, 785 nm) and operating in confocal mode. These high-resolution systems enabled precise detection and mapping of narrow-band PL emissions originating from various REE centres (e.g., Nd3+, Sm3+, Pr3+, Er3+, Ho3+), whose excitation efficiency and spectral signatures vary with both wavelength and host mineral structure.
The study demonstrates that PL emissions can significantly influence the interpretation of Raman spectra, especially in REE-rich minerals, where such emissions may be misidentified as Raman modes. However, when properly characterized—particularly using reference spectra from synthetic REE-doped analogues—the REE3+ PL emissions provide valuable information on trace element distribution and crystal chemistry. Hyperspectral PL mapping using HORIBA’s confocal Raman systems allowed visualization of mineral textures and compositional zoning at the micrometre scale, complementing cathodoluminescence imaging.
Overall, this work highlights the superior versatility of HORIBA Raman instruments in detecting PL artefacts and turning them into useful spectroscopic fingerprints over the entire spectral range from UV to NIR using one spectrometer.
HORIBA’s nanoGPS navYX™ system is an advanced optical referencing solution that enables precise, repeatable localization of regions of interest across multiple analytical platforms - a critical requirement in geological and mineralogical investigations. The system relies on the calibration of each instrument via a "Calibration Tag", which establishes a geometric correspondence between the instrument’s internal coordinate system and a common nanoGPS reference frame.
A sample tag - a patterned reference marker placed on the sample or sample holder - serves as positional anchor. Two dedicated software packages, navYX™ (fully integrated into HORIBAs extensive software suite LabSpec 6) and navYX-connect™ (for integration of non-HORIBA systems), convert stage coordinates into the shared nanoGPS spatial framework, allowing seamless navigation between instruments such as Raman microscopes, SEMs, EPMA, and more. This enables researchers to precisely revisit and compare micro-regions previously analyzed on different instruments without the need of laborious documentation on how to find back specific features
Additionally, the graphYX software, based on the Mountains® platform, allows the correlation and overlay of images and datasets (e.g., Raman maps, SEM images, elemental maps), facilitating comprehensive, multi-modal analysis of complex geological textures, mineral zoning, and trace-element distributions.
[1] Khatibi, S., Ostadhassan, M., Tuschel, D., Gentzis, T., & Carvajal-Ortiz, H. (2018). Evaluating molecular evolution of kerogen by raman spectroscopy: correlation with optical microscopy and rock-eval pyrolysis. Energies, 11(6), 1406.
[2] Morita, M., Yui, H., Urashima, S. H., Onose, M., Komatani, S., Nakai, I., ... & Yurimoto, H. (2023). Analysis of cation composition in dolomites on the intact particles sampled from asteroid Ryugu. Analytical Chemistry, 96(1), 170-178.
[3] Lenz, C., Nasdala, L., Talla, D., Hauzenberger, C., Seitz, R., & Kolitsch, U. (2015). Laser-induced REE3+ photoluminescence of selected accessory minerals—An “advantageous artefact” in Raman spectroscopy. Chemical Geology, 415, 1-16.
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