Advances in DUV spectroscopy

The would-be advantages of deep UV (DUV) spectroscopy are well known, but the potential applications have so far not been fully realized due to technological limitations and, perhaps, lack of bright ideas. However, new components and new knowledge about DUV spectra and spectroscopic methods combined with increasing needs for solutions to practical problems in environmental protection, medicine and pollution monitoring promise a new era in DUV spectroscopy. Here we shall review the basis for DUV spectroscopy, both DUV fluorescence and DUV Raman spectroscopy, and describe recent advances in technology and principles that could be applied to new and improved applications of this promising technique. As an example we describe a recent cooperation between Grundfos, DTU and Intarsia Optics to measure live bacterial cells in drinking water.