Abstract:
A spectrometer, or a spectral instrument using multiple non-interfering optical beam paths and special optical elements. The special optical elements for use with the instrument are used for directing the optical beam and/or altering the form of the beam. The instrument has the potential, depending upon the totality of the optical components incorporated into the instrument, to be a monochromator, a spectroradiometer, a spectrophotometer and a spectral source. The spectral instrument may further be a part of the spectral system. The system may include the spectral instrument, a power module and means for remote control of the instrument. Such remote control may be by use of a personal computer or a control system dedicated to the control, measurement and analysis of the collected information. The multiple non-interfering beam paths are created using specially designed optical elements such as a diffraction grating, a splitter box, a zero back-lash drive system for movement of the grating element. The orientation of and a physical/spatial relationship between the field lenses, slits, return mirror, reflecting prism, turning lenses all define the multiple, preferably two paths. Particularly, there is a double pass through the grating to increase dispersion, reduce scatter while maintaining a perfect temperature independent spectral match for the second pass. Using the same grating twice reduces scatter by about a factor of 1000, increases the dispersion by a factor of two, and eliminates any temperature-related mechanical spectral drift which often is present with two separate monochromators. Because of the specially designed grating structure, the grating can cause the concurrent diffraction of a plurality of incident optical beams, each of which beams have different angles of incidence and different angles of reflection. The path of the incident and the reflected beam to and from the grating is nulloff-axisnull. That is, the beams going to and from the grating do not use the optical axis of the grating structure.
Abstract:
A multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic photoemission microscope system (100) which simultaneously provides images in a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as between 200 nm-1000 nm (optical or visible light) and 1000 nm-500 nm (infrared light). The multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopic photoemission microscope system comprises a microscope (102), a spectrometer (106), a beam splitter (108), a first spectrum focal plane array (110) including an appropriate photodiode (114A), a second spectrum focal plane array (120) including an appropriate photodiode (114B), and a cryogenic vessel (160) to maintain relevant portions of the system at a very low temperature. The invention may be used in failure analysis of integrated circuits and in semiconductor and low temperature physics.
Abstract:
The Hyperspectral Imaging Method and Apparatus provides the means of locating materials of economic and military value and accurately determining their spatial location and extent. The identification of a material is made by comparing its surface spectral reflectance properties in a scene with a set of reference template spectra. If there is enough spectral difference between materials of interest such as, for example, camouflage and vegetation or healthy and blighted corn, a detection will be made. The determination of spatial location and extent is may by the rapid collection of spectral measurements (nominally tens of thousands per second) in the form of an image and the reference of this image with GPS position to very high accuracy. Target identification and geolocation is computed in near realtime or realtime.
Abstract:
An apparatus for carrying out spectral analysis of optical radiation emitted from a light source (11) comprises a spectral detector (1) having an entrance aperture (10) for the radiation from thelight source (11), a first imaging optical component (11), a first imaging optical component (12), a diffraction grating (14) for wavelength dispersion of the radiation, order sorting means (131, 132) for separation of the spectral orders of the diffraction grating (14), a second imaging optical component (15), and a detecting unit (16) for registration of the light source spectrum divided into order spectra through the order sorting means (131, 132). The order sorting means (131, 132) comprise at least two refractive optical components manufactured from different material. The two refractive optical components (131 and 132) together with the diffraction grating (14) and the imaging optical components (12 and 15) produce a substantially uniform distribution of the order spectra on the detector unit (16). Favourably the order sorting means (131, 132), the diffraction grating (14) and the imaging optical components (12, 15) also co-act to produce a substantially stigmatic image of the entrance aperture (10) in at least one point on the detector unit (16).
Abstract:
An improved method and apparatus are disclosed for processing spectral data to remove undesired variations in such data and to remove interfering information present in the data. The method land apparatus corrects multiplicative effects present in the spectral data. Additive and interferent contributions can be corrected as well. In one aspect of the method, coefficients for a selected appropriate model are applied to the input spectral data based on first and second reference spectra. The spectral data are then corrected based on the estimated coefficients at least as to multiplicative errors for producing a linear additive structure for use in calibration, validation and determination by linear multivariate analysis. The method and apparatus will improve the accuracy of spectral data structures derived from measurements Using spectroscopy, chromatography, thermal analysis, mechanical vibration and acoustic analysis, rheology, electrophoresis, image analysis and other analytical technologies producing data of similar multivariate nature.
Abstract:
An optical system and a method for separating overlapping spectra from a diffraction grating and an imaging spectrometer with increased free spectral range are disclosed. The light from a diffraction grating consists of multiple spectra overlapping each other and displaced along a spectral axis. The invention directs the light from the grating to a refractive element such, as a prism. The prism further disperses the light along the same spectral axis. The individual spectra are sufficiently displaced such that they no longer interfere with each other.
Abstract:
To provide sufficient sensitivity, spectral resolution and speed of measurement for field environmental measurements in a portable spectroradiometer, a silicon photodiode receives light: (1) having a bandwidth in the range of between 2 and 15 nm (nanometers) from a pivotable concave holographic diffraction grating within the wavelength range of between 250 and 1150 nm at a scanning rate in the range of 20 to 100 nm per second; (2) having stray light of high intensity and undesired frequencies and the shorter wavelength harmonics of the selected frequency range blocked by filters; and (3) having flux of at least 10 microwatts per square meter of diffuser plate for each nanometer of bandwidth. Automatic electrical zeroing is obtained by blocking all light once at the beginning of each scan, obtaining an electrical drift-related signal and using the drift signal to adjust the measured signal during the scan. Several different sensing interfaces can be used, including a quartz, light fiber probe having at least a 50% packing density and a cone angle of at least 24 degrees. The data and the programming storage is at least 30K bytes but the instrument uses no more than watts of power when the instrument is not scanning.
Abstract:
An interchangeable encoding cassette and a spectrometer system employing such cassette, which cassette device encodes the spectral energy of radiation at the exit focal plane of a spectrometer, the spectral energy represented by horizontal and vertical components. The cassette device comprises a rotating encoding disc, a stationary aperture plate, a frame element, and a shaft secured to the encoding disc for rotation therewith. The frame includes bearings on which the shaft is mounted and includes a reference pin. The spectrometer includes a pair of locater mounts, each of which has a precision V groove adapted to receive the shoulders of the bearing element of the cassette, one of such locators having an adjustable track adapted to receive the pin element, whereby the shaft serves as a primary reference and the cassette device is adjusted into the desired precision position by the position of the reference pin in the restraining track.
Abstract:
A spectrometer having an entrance aperture, at least one collimating mirror, a prism and an echelle grating which is so mounted to provide rotation in two directions thereby providing adjustment of the vertical and horizontal components of the dispersed energy in the exit focal plane.
Abstract:
A system and method for spectroscopic mapping, with configurable spatial resolution, of an object include a fiber optic bundle having a plurality of optical fibers arranged in a first array at an input end with each of the plurality of optical fibers spaced one from another and arranged in at least one linear array at an output end. A first mask defining a plurality of apertures equal to or greater in number than the plurality of optical fibers is positioned between an object to be imaged and the input end of the fiber optic bundle. An imaging spectrometer is positioned to receive light from the output end of the fiber optic bundle and to generate spectra of the object. A sensor associated with the imaging spectrometer converts the spectra to electrical output signals for processing by an associated computer.