Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique used to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system. It relies on inelastic scattering, or Raman scattering, of monochromatic light, usually from a laser in the visible, near infrared, or near ultraviolet range. The laser light interacts with molecular vibrations, phonons or other excitations in the system, resulting in the energy of the laser photons being shifted up or down. The shift in energy gives information about the vibrational modes in the system.
Several variations of Raman spectroscopy have been developed. The usual purpose is to enhance the sensitivity, e.g., surface-enhanced Raman (SERS), to improve the spatial resolution, to acquire very specific information (resonance Raman). Another variation is the tip enhanced raman spectroscopy (TERS).