Abstract:
A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer utilizes a selectable area infrared detector to optimize performance of the instrument depending upon the nature of the sample being analyzed. The detector includes an inner detecting segment and one or more outer detecting segments which extend at least partially around the inner segment and are electrically isolated therefrom. In those cases where a small area detector provides optimal sensitivity and performance, only the inner detecting segment is enabled to contribute to the output of the detector. In those cases where a larger area detector provides optimal sensitivity and performance, one or more of the outer detecting segments are enabled to contribute to the output of the detector, either alone or in combination with the inner segment. Thus, a single detector in the instrument provides optimal sensitivity and performance for a wide range of applications.
Abstract:
An interferometer mirror drive system compensates for velocity and tilt errors induced by ambient vibration, as well as providing long-term automatic alignment of the mirrors. A uniquely configured .lambda./8-thick step on the fixed mirror of the interferometer introduces a 90-degree phase shift in one of two reference light beams, to produce quadrature signals which characterize the relative motion between the fixed and the driven mirrors. An electronic circuit extracts velocity and tilt data from the quadrature signals and develops error signals indicative of deviations from the desired coordinates of the moving mirror. The error signals are used to generate a set of control signals which in turn are supplied to an arrangement of drive coils attached to the moving mirror, to restore the mirror to the desired coordinates.
Abstract:
An interferometer having beamsplitting and reflective coatings on the same surface of a beamsplitter member. The fixed length path of the interferometer includes a compensator matched to the beamsplitter member, a Cat's Eye Retroreflector, the reflective coating and a retro-mirror. The variable length path of the interferometer includes a moving coil mirror, a movable Cat's Eye Retroreflector and the retro-mirror.
Abstract:
A high resolution interferometer is provided which is insensitive to slight misalignment of its elements, avoids channeling in the spectrum, generates a maximum equal path fringe contrast, produces an even two-sided interferogram without critical matching of the wedge angles of the beamsplitter and compensator wedges, and is optically phase tunable. The interferometer includes a mirror along the path of each beam component produced by the beamsplitter, for reflecting the beam component from the beamsplitter to a corresponding retroreflector and for reflecting the beam returned by the retroreflector back to the beamsplitter. The fact that the mirror "covers" the retroreflector, so that the mirror reflects the beam component before and after it reaches the retroreflector, results in the system being insensitive to slight tilting of the mirror. A wedge located along each beam component path, is large enough to "cover" the retroreflector, so that each beam component passes through the wedge during movement towards the retroreflector and away therefrom, to assure that all portions of a beam component pass through the same thickness of glass of the wedge.
Abstract:
An over-under double-pass interferometer in which the beamsplitter area and thickness can be reduced to conform only with optical flatness considerations is achieved by offsetting the optical center line of one cat's-eye retroreflector relative to the optical center line of the other in order that one split beam be folded into a plane distinct from the other folded split beam. The beamsplitter is made transparent in one area for a first folded beam to be passed to a mirror for doubling back and is made totally reflective in another area for the second folded beam to be reflected to a mirror for doubling back. The two beams thus doubled back are combined in the central, beam-splitting area of the beamsplitter and passed to a detector. This makes the beamsplitter insensitive to minimum-thickness requirements and selection of material.
Abstract:
A spectral scan by using a rotating spiralling toroidal mirror. The scan is made of a light beam from a source. A beamsplitter divides the beam into two components. One component is reflected off of a fixed mirror back to the beamsplitter. The second component is reflected off of the spiralling toroidal mirror back to the beamsplitter. As the mirror rotates, the pathlength constantly changes producing an interference pattern for all wavelengths within the range of the instrument.
Abstract:
An interferometer is disclosed, preferably of the Michelson type, in which the reflectors associated with the interferometer arms are stationary, and scanning is accomplished by motion of a wedge-shaped refractive element in one of the arms, the orientation of the refractive element and its direction of motion being in specific mathematically derived directions which minimize the translatory displacement of the transmitted optical beam.
Abstract:
In infrared spectroscopy utilizing an interferometer, position stepping of the optical path difference in the interferometer must be accomplished quite rapidly in response to a drive signal applied to a moveable mirror in the interferometer which is proportional to the offset distance desired from the previous null point. As the mirror moves in response to this drive signal, effectively getting closer to the new null point, the drive signal is gradually reduced, in response to detected reference laser fringes. At the new null position, the drive signal will effectively be zero. A binary up/down counter drives a digital/analog converter (DAC). The output from the DAC is supplied to the mirror moving means. The fringes generated by a reference laser are detected as the mirror moves, causing the up/down counter to be decremented to its null count, thereby reducing the output of the DAC, as the mirror moves towards its new null position. Undesirable movement of the mirror due to vibration or other sources causes the up/down counter to be incremented away from its null count, thereby causing a correcting drive signal to be applied to the mirror moving means that is proportional to the distance of movement.
Abstract:
Apparatus and process provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of sample constituent(s) in a fluid, relatively free from qualitative ambiguities and quantitative zero displacements due to slowly changing contamination in the measurement stream. Slowly changing zero displacement in the stream is cancelled out by the taking of continuous measurements at two points along the stream and continuously manipulating the two measurements as by subtraction.
Abstract:
A polarization interference correlation spectrometer comprising a first polarizer for polarizing a sample beam, a Soleil compensator for producing an appropriate optical path difference between the paths of the two orthogonal polarization components of the sample beam polarized by said first polarizer, a second polarizer for synthesizing the two orthogonal polarization components accompanied with said optical path difference and generating interference, and a photoelectric transducer for deriving said interference as a modulated electric signal.