Spectrometer designs
First Claim
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1. A monolithic imaging spectrometer comprising:
- a body comprising a mass of substantially optically transmissive material;
a slit disposed on said mass of substantially optically transmissive material;
a first concave reflector, said first reflector and said slit defining a first optical path therebetween, such that the first optical path comprises said substantially optically transmissive material;
a curved reflective grating, said first reflector and said curved reflective grating defining a second optical path therebetween, said first reflector and said reflective grating disposed with respect to said body such that said second optical path substantially comprises said substantially transmissive material; and
a second concave reflector disposed such that light diffracted from said curved reflective grating is reflected from said second reflector onto an imaging detector array;
wherein the slit, the first reflector, the second reflector and the curved reflective grating are integrated with the body in a monolithic assembly,wherein the first reflector is disposed on a first convex portion of said body,wherein the second reflector is disposed on a second convex portion of said body, andwherein the reflective grating is convex and is disposed on a concave portion of said body.
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Abstract
Various embodiments include spectrometers comprising diffraction gratings monolithically integrated with other optical elements. These optical elements may include slits and mirrors. The mirrors and gratings may be curved. In one embodiment, the mirrors are concave and the grating is convex. The mirrors and grating may be concentric or nearly concentric.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A monolithic imaging spectrometer comprising:
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a body comprising a mass of substantially optically transmissive material; a slit disposed on said mass of substantially optically transmissive material; a first concave reflector, said first reflector and said slit defining a first optical path therebetween, such that the first optical path comprises said substantially optically transmissive material; a curved reflective grating, said first reflector and said curved reflective grating defining a second optical path therebetween, said first reflector and said reflective grating disposed with respect to said body such that said second optical path substantially comprises said substantially transmissive material; and a second concave reflector disposed such that light diffracted from said curved reflective grating is reflected from said second reflector onto an imaging detector array; wherein the slit, the first reflector, the second reflector and the curved reflective grating are integrated with the body in a monolithic assembly, wherein the first reflector is disposed on a first convex portion of said body, wherein the second reflector is disposed on a second convex portion of said body, and wherein the reflective grating is convex and is disposed on a concave portion of said body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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14. A monolithic imaging spectrometer comprising:
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a body comprising a mass of substantially optically transmissive material; a first curved reflector, said first reflector being concave; a second curved reflector, said second reflector being concave; and a curved reflective grating, said reflective grating being convex, wherein said first curved reflector and said reflective grating define a first optical path therebetween and said first curved reflector and said reflective grating are disposed with respect to said body such that said first optical path substantially comprises said substantially transmissive material, wherein said first curved reflector and said second curved reflector are disposed on convex portions of said body and said reflective grating is disposed on a concave surface of said body, wherein said reflective grating is configured to reflect broadband light having a bandwidth of at least about 200 nanometers to the second curved reflector via a second optical path comprising said substantially transmissive material, wherein the broadband light is reflected from the second curved reflector onto an imaging detector array, and wherein said body is substantially optically transmissive for wavelengths in the visible region. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A monolithic imaging spectrometer comprising:
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a housing; a medium comprising substantially optically transmissive material; a first curved reflector, said first reflector being concave; a second curved reflector, said second reflector being concave; a concave surface on said medium; and a convex reflective grating disposed on said concave surface, said first curved reflector and said reflective grating defining a first optical path therebetween, said first curved reflector and said reflective grating disposed with respect to each other and said medium such that said first optical path substantially comprises said substantially transmissive material, wherein said second curved reflector is configured to reflect light diffracted from said reflective grating onto an imaging detector array, wherein the first and second reflectors are disposed on curved portions of said substantially transmissive material that are convex, and wherein the size of the housing is no greater than 1000 cubic centimeters. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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28. The spectrometer of 22, further comprising the imaging detector array, said imaging detector array disposed in a second optical path extending from said reflective grating to said detector, said second optical path substantially comprising said substantially transmissive material.
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35. A monolithic imaging spectrometer comprising:
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a body comprising a mass of substantially optically transmissive material; a first curved reflector, said first reflector being concave and having a radius of curvature; a second curved reflector, said second reflector being concave and having a radius of curvature; and a curved reflective grating, said reflective grating being convex and having a radius of curvature, wherein said first curved reflector and said reflective grating define a first optical path therebetween and said first curved reflector and said reflective grating are disposed with respect to said body such that said first optical path substantially comprises said substantially transmissive material, wherein said first curved reflector and said second curved reflector are disposed on convex portions of said body and said reflective grating is disposed on a concave surface of said body, and wherein the radius of curvature of said curved reflective grating is substantially half the radii of curvatures of said first and second curved reflectors. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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Specification