1. Laser, laser power supply, beam and mode shaping optics, pulse amplitude shaping and polarization output optics,

2. Laser targeting systems that allow placement of the beam at a specific location for purposes of analyzing the surface chemistry
   of materials at that location. This could be accomplished by a variety of methods such as human directed sighting,  X-Y scanning, machine
   vision directed by sensor, etc.

3. Photon collection systems must be optically designed to redirect the maximum number of photons exiting the target over a prescribed
   photon wavelength bandwidth within design cost limits. This could range from space borne collection optics to telescopic arrays of plastic
   optical lens arrays. Typical output beam shape of the collected photon wave front must be designed to fill the optical entrance pupil of the
   spectrometer system to be used for analysis-typically a spectrometer slit. This system component may also contain spectral filtering devices
   that limit the transmitted waveband  to specific spectral regions. In recent designs, S21PG expects to use a multiple narrow MIR jm  filter that
   essentially filters several wavelengths at once to Instantly identify a specific trace chemistry. No full band scanning is required with this 
   design so almost instant identification is achieved.

4. For scanning type spectrometer systems,  linear diffraction gratings are typically  used to disperse the detected spectrum and sweep 
   this past a slit aperture and then to a detector. 

5. Recent detectors have advanced the field significantly by using linear pixel arrays that parallel the direction of the slit as referenced 
   above. In addition to grating dispersion, the detection resolution is primarily impacted by the array pitch and spectral sensitivity. 
  
S21 PG LLC specific experience per the above five categories:

1. Laser mode control, both gas and solid state pulse. 
      Laser optical resonator design.
      Laser pulse amplitude shaping.
      Polarization control for gas and pulse lasers.
2. Diode lasers for bar code reading, design and specification (Abbott Labs).
      X-Y scanning engineering requirements/specifications (UV, VIS, MIR QCL)
3. UV-VIS Raman 8 inch aperture optical system design.
      Spectrometer patents.
      Single molecule fluorescent detector for virology/pathology.
4. Optimization of diffraction efficiency for sinusoidal surface phase gratings.
      Theory and development of diamond machined holographic gratings.
5. Study of silicon multi-pixel versus single chip detectors.

Artistic rendition of ChemCam Laser Analysis on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Rover

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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