Developments of Raman spectroscopy in the past 40 years: from a molecule to a living cell

Abstract

This article is based on the opening lecture 'Raman spectroscopy at Tokyo: past 40 years and future' delivered at the symposium entitled '80 years of Raman effect: reflections and the future' held at Bangalore from 8 to 10 December 2008. It reviews four research subjects, including (1) anomalous depolarization ratios in resonance Raman scattering, (2) one- way photoisomerization of retinal by nanosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy, (3) dynamic polarization model of photoisomerization of stilbene by picosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy, and (4) discovery of the 'Raman spectroscopic signature of life' by timeand space-resolved Raman spectroscopy. The future possibilities of Raman spectroscopy are also briefly addressed.