An optical emission spectrometer has an excitation device for a sample to be examined, a dispersive element for spectrally decomposing light emitted by an excited sample, a multiplicity of photodiodes, which are arranged such that different spectral components of the emitted, decomposed light are detectable with different photodiodes, and a multiplicity of electronic readout systems for the photodiodes. A respective electronic readout system has a charge storage assembly comprising a plurality of individual charge storage devices, wherein the charge storage devices are interconnectable in cascading fashion, with the result that charges flowing in from an associated photodiode successively fill the charge storage devices. The respective electronic readout system can be used to read the charges of the individual charge storage devices of the charge storage assembly and/or the charges of subsets of the charge storage devices of the charge storage assembly.

A CubeSat compatible spectrometer including a slit having a first length and first width; a diffraction grating; and a two dimensional focal plane array electromagnetically coupled to the diffraction grating. The 2D focal plane array includes an array of pixels including a plurality of sets of pixels. Diffraction of electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the slit by the diffraction grating forms a plurality of beams, each of the beams comprising a different one of the bands of the wavelengths in the electromagnetic radiation, and each of the beams transmitted onto a different one of the sets of the pixels.

An optical system includes a spectrograph having a concave diffraction grating and a detector. An aperture is selectively positioned by an associated actuator or positioning mechanism either into, or out of, an optical path of the input light beam downstream of a sample and prior to entering the spectrograph. A slit plate having a plurality of different size entrance slits is positioned downstream of the aperture and movable by an associated actuator or positioning mechanism to position one of the plurality of entrance slits in the optical path of the input light beam. A controller coupled to the detector and the actuators is configured to control the actuators to selectively position the aperture and the slit plate to provide a selectable resolution of the spectrograph. The aperture setting and slit plate setting may be determined from a lookup table in response to a request for finer or coarser spectral resolution.

A spectrometer includes an input unit for receiving an optical signal, a diffraction grating disposed on the transmission path of the optical signal for dispersing the optical signal into a plurality of spectral rays, an image sensor disposed on the transmission path of at least a portion of the spectral rays, and a waveguide device. A waveguide space is formed between the first and second reflective surfaces of the waveguide device. The optical signal is transmitted from the input unit to the diffraction grating via the waveguide space. The portion of the spectral rays is transmitted to the image sensor via the waveguide space. At least one opening is formed on the waveguide device, and is substantially parallel to the first and/or second reflective surface. A portion of the spectral rays and/or the optical signal diffuses from the opening out of the waveguide space without reaching the image sensor.

A frame, a spectroscope, a spectrometry unit, and an image forming apparatus. The frame has hollow structure and includes at least four apertures including a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture through which light enters the frame, and a fourth aperture, a concave diffraction grating disposed at a position of the first aperture, and a movable reflector disposed at a position of the second aperture to reflect light dispersed by the concave diffraction grating and change a reflection angle of the reflected light. Through the fourth aperture of the frame, the light reflected by the movable reflector exits the frame. The spectroscope includes the frame, and the frame further includes an optical entrance disposed at a position of the third aperture, and an optical exit disposed at a position of the fourth aperture.

A spectrometer includes an input unit for receiving an optical signal, a diffraction grating disposed on the transmission path of the optical signal for dispersing the optical signal into a plurality of spectral rays, an image sensor disposed on the transmission path of at least a portion of the spectral rays, and a waveguide device. A waveguide space is formed between the first and second reflective surfaces of the waveguide device. The optical signal is transmitted from the input unit to the diffraction grating via the waveguide space. The portion of the spectral rays is transmitted to the image sensor via the waveguide space. At least one opening is formed on the waveguide device, and is substantially parallel to the first and/or second reflective surface. A portion of the spectral rays and/or the optical signal diffuses from the opening out of the waveguide space without reaching the image sensor.

An optical instrument for spectroscopy applications includes a compact arrangement having a three-dimensional folded optical path. A plate configured as an optical reference plane is secured to a housing and is configured to secure optical components above or below the plate. A modular light source module may be secured within the housing without fasteners. A monochromator and spectrometer are secured below the plate. Mirrors disposed above the plate are configured to direct light from the monochromator passing through a first opening in the plate through a sample disposed above the plate, and to direct light from the sample through a second opening in the plate to the spectrometer. A controller is configured for communication with the monochromator and the spectrometer. The controller may control an entrance slit actuator for the spectrometer and positioning of an aperture upstream of the spectrometer to adjust resolution and throughput.

A design method of a spectrometer and a spectrometer are disclosed, including the following steps: 1) determining an incident angle of a second incident slit and a groove-shaped cycle of a concave grating; 2) estimating a blaze angle of the concave grating, determining a surface material and a groove-shaped structure of the concave grating; 3) acquiring wavelength-diffraction efficiency curves; 4) determining values of incident angles .sub.A1 and .sub.A3 and values of wavelengths 2 and 3, and setting 4 to equal 2; 5) acquiring a record structural parameter and a use structural parameter; 6) determining a manufacture parameter of the concave grating; 7) determining locations of the three incident slits and the three photodetectors relative to the concave grating. The spectrometer acquired by using this method has relatively high diffraction efficiency in most spectrum regions and effectively alleviates the problem of relatively low diffraction efficiency in a broad spectrum region.

An optical system includes a spectrograph having a concave diffraction grating and a detector. An aperture is selectively positioned by an associated actuator or positioning mechanism either into, or out of, an optical path of the input light beam downstream of a sample and prior to entering the spectrograph. A slit plate having a plurality of different size entrance slits is positioned downstream of the aperture and movable by an associated actuator or positioning mechanism to position one of the plurality of entrance slits in the optical path of the input light beam. A controller coupled to the detector and the actuators is configured to control the actuators to selectively position the aperture and the slit plate to provide a selectable resolution of the spectrograph. The aperture setting and slit plate setting may be determined from a lookup table in response to a request for finer or coarser spectral resolution.

An optical instrument for spectroscopy applications includes a compact arrangement having a three-dimensional folded optical path. A plate configured as an optical reference plane is secured to a housing and is configured to secure optical components above or below the plate. A modular light source module may be secured within the housing without fasteners. A monochromator and spectrometer are secured below the plate. Mirrors disposed above the plate are configured to direct light from the monochromator passing through a first opening in the plate through a sample disposed above the plate, and to direct light from the sample through a second opening in the plate to the spectrometer. A controller is configured for communication with the monochromator and the spectrometer. The controller may control an entrance slit actuator for the spectrometer and positioning of an aperture upstream of the spectrometer to adjust resolution and throughput.