A spectroscopic system comprising: an excitation source configured to provide light; a first optical element optically coupled to the excitation source and operative as a beam combiner to combine the light from the excitation source in a first direction with inelastically scattered radiation returning from a sample in a second direction which is opposite the first direction, in a first region of a common optical pathway; a second optical element optically coupled to the first optical element to receive light from the first optical element along the first region of the common optical pathway, the second optical element configured to separate the light from the excitation source from the common optical pathway prior to irradiation of the sample with the light from the excitation source; a third optical element optically coupled to the second optical element and configured to receive the separated light from the second optical element; a fourth optical element optically coupled to the third optical element and configured to receive the separated light from the third optical element to provide the received light to a sample space along a second region of the common optical pathway, the fourth optical element further configured to receive inelastically scattered radiation from the sample in the sample space and to provide the inelastically scattered radiation to a detector, wherein the fourth optical element is also optically coupled to the first optical element to provide the inelastically scattered radiation to the detector at an angle that is about 180 degrees from the angle of the provided received light; and a fifth optical element in an optical path between the fourth optical element and the second optical element, the fifth optical element configured to manipulate the inelastically scattered radiation. an excitation source configured to provide light; a first optical element optically coupled to the excitation source and operative as a beam combiner to combine the light from the excitation source in a first direction with inelastically scattered radiation returning from a sample in a second direction which is opposite the first direction, in a first region of a common optical pathway; a second optical element optically coupled to the first optical element to receive light from the first optical element along the first region of the common optical pathway, the second optical element configured to separate the light from the excitation source from the common optical pathway prior to irradiation of the sample with the light from the excitation source; a third optical element optically coupled to the second optical element and configured to receive the separated light from the second optical element; a fourth optical element optically coupled to the third optical element and configured to receive the separated light from the third optical element to provide the received light to a sample space along a second region of the common optical pathway, the fourth optical element further configured to receive inelastically scattered radiation from the sample in the sample space and to provide the inelastically scattered radiation to a detector, wherein the fourth optical element is also optically coupled to the first optical element to provide the inelastically scattered radiation to the detector at an angle that is about 180 degrees from the angle of the provided received light; and a fifth optical element in an optical path between the fourth optical element and the second optical element, the fifth optical element configured to manipulate the inelastically scattered radiation.