High-speed, hyperspectral (spectrum) imaging for all with the Monarc detector
Gatan instrument used
The Monarc® system’s revolutionary design enables spatial and spectral (color) information available in the cathodoluminescence (CL) signal to be captured with unprecedented speed to dramatically expand one’s ability to understand mineralogical processes.
Background
CL microscopy—the analysis of light emitted by a mineral or gemstone when excited by an electron source—has proven to be a very effective microanalysis tool used to understand our geological history. This technique is finding extensive use in determining mineral provenance, including geochronology and metamorphic alteration studies and, more recently, thermobarometry for petrographic applications.
Many CL detectors only collect spatial information in the form of unfiltered (black and white) images. In recent years, color CL imaging has largely displaced unfiltered imaging since it is easier to interpret and provides more information. However, color imaging provides very limited spectral information, which prevents the identification of trace elements, their valence and structural position, or quantitative analysis. For several years, it has been clear that hyperspectral imaging (spectrum imaging) offers many benefits because it collects all spatial and spectral information in a single data set (spectrum image or hyperspectral data cube). Yet due to the slow acquisition speeds, adoption of CL spectrum imaging in the geosciences has remained low.
