Raman spectroscopy and polarization: Selected case studies

We show, through several selected case studies, the potential benefits that can be obtained by controlling the polarization states of the exciting and scattered radiations in a Raman scattering experiment. When coupled with polarization control, Raman spectroscopy is thus capable of providing extra information on the structural properties of the materials under investigation. The experimental examples presented in this work are taken from the area of both conventional, i.e., far-field, as well as from near-field Raman spectroscopy. They cover topics such as the stress tensor measurement in strained semiconductor structures, the vibration mode assignment in pentacene thin films and the Raman scattering tensor determination from near-field measurements on azobenzene monolayers. The basic theory necessary for modelling the far- and near-field polarized Raman responses is also given and the model efficiency is illustrated on the experimental data.