Lasers for Art's Sake
Instruments
A series of transportable instruments are the technological output of the 20 years experience which was gained through research and applications of lasers in Cultural Heritage Conservation.
IRIS series
IRIS is a versatile instrument for imaging the compositional and structural information of layered surfaces. It is fully portable enabling the examination of objects and monuments in situ (at museums, conservation laboratories, archaeological areas etc.). IRIS can be used to differentiate materials and layers on the basis of their reflectance and fluorescence properties, to identify their chemical composition as well as to evaluate and monitor conservation interventions.
LMNT1 series
The increasing demand for minimal intervention in combination with restrictions in sampling and transportation of cultural heritage and archaeological objects has led to the development of a transportable
(LMNTI) and a fully portable (LMNTII) instrument for their analysis and characterization, based on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).
These instruments offer qualitative and semi-quantitative multi-element analysis ‘in-situ’ with no sample removal or preparation restrictions. The rapid data acquisition, the high spatial resolution of the technique, the ability to give information on the stratigraphy of the objects and the user friendly software are key elements for their wide application in archaeometry and art conservation.
Raman
Raman spectroscopy gives details about the molecular structure of samples and may identify samples (mineral, pigments) by the spectral bands which correspond to characteristic bond vibrations.
In the present study, a compact Raman microspectrometer, with excitation source a diode laser, emitting at 786 nm was used. The beam where focus on the sample surface by an objective lens which provide focusing of the beam in an area around 50 μm. The scattered Raman radiation is collected through the focusing objective and sent through an optical fiber to a compact spectrograph and CCD detector, which record the spectrum. A high resolution colour camera offer a very clear view of the area under investigation.
DHSPI series
DHSPI systems are portable laser-interferometry instruments that allow for real time, full-field acquisition of structural condition information of an object in-situ. They are developed to cover a wide range of applications including the diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of hidden defects inside the bulk of the objects, the assessment of the objects’ condition due to their transportation or to their exposure to environmental changes, the monitoring of conservation interventions, as well as, to verify their originality. The risk priority maps which are the outputs of DHSPI analysis are a unique source of information for the conservator in order to take decisions and plan conservation strategies.
Laser cleaning systems and set-ups
A series of laser cleaning systems are available at IESL-FORTH laboratories, fulfilling the cleaning requirements of a variety of Cultural Heritage objects and surfaces. These involve transportable cleaning systems of compact size dedicated for field interventions, as well as, sophisticated cleaning set-ups for demanding studies and objects. Monitoring and/ or evaluation modules based on laser analytical and diagnostic techniques are also available in order to follow the cleaning process and safeguard the treated objects