The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object. It comprises a plurality of light emission units, each emitting light with a predetermined emission spectrum and having a respective output configured for emitting the light with the predetermined emission spectrum onto the measurement object, an optical spectrograph having an input port adapted to receive light from the measurement object and a diffraction unit adapted to distribute different wavelengths of the received light to different output ports comprising the optical detectors, wherein the diffraction unit is adapted to distribute said received light to the respective output ports such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; a signal identification unit adapted to identify which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object. It comprises a plurality of light emission units, each emitting light with a predetermined emission spectrum and having a respective output configured for emitting the light with the predetermined emission spectrum onto the measurement object, an optical spectrograph having an input port adapted to receive light from the measurement object and a diffraction unit adapted to distribute different wavelengths of the received light to different output ports comprising the optical detectors, wherein the diffraction unit is adapted to distribute said received light to the respective output ports such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; a signal identification unit adapted to identify which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object. It comprises a plurality of light emission units, each emitting light with a predetermined emission spectrum and having a respective output configured for emitting the light with the predetermined emission spectrum onto the measurement object, an optical spectrograph having an input port adapted to receive light from the measurement object and a diffraction unit adapted to distribute different wavelengths of the received light to different output ports comprising the optical detectors, wherein the diffraction unit is adapted to distribute said received light to the respective output ports such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; a signal identification unit adapted to identify which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports.

A spectrometer includes a first spectroscopic unit and a second spectroscopic unit. A light passing part, a reflection part, a common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the first spectroscopic unit are arranged along a first reference line when viewed in a Z-axis direction. A light passing part, a reflection part, the common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the second spectroscopic unit are arranged along a second reference line when viewed in the Z-axis direction. The first reference line and the second reference line intersect with one another.

A spectrometer includes a first spectroscopic unit and a second spectroscopic unit. A light passing part, a reflection part, a common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the first spectroscopic unit are arranged along a first reference line when viewed in a Z-axis direction. A light passing part, a reflection part, the common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the second spectroscopic unit are arranged along a second reference line when viewed in the Z-axis direction. The first reference line and the second reference line intersect with one another.

The present application discloses a system comprising a compact curved grating (CCG) and its associated compact curved grating spectrometer (COGS) or compact curved grating wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (WMDM) module and a method for making the same. The system is capable of achieving a very small (resolution vs. size) RS factor. The location of the entrance slit and detector can be adjusted in order to have the best performance for a particular design goal. The initial groove spacing is calculated using a prescribed formula dependent on operation wavelength. The location of the grooves is calculated based on two conditions. The first one being that the path-difference between adjacent grooves should be an integral multiple of the wavelength in the medium to achieve aberration-free grating focusing at the detector or a first anchor output slit even with large beam diffraction angle from the entrance slit or input slit, the second one being specific for a particular design goal of a curved-grating spectrometer.

With a microspectroscopy device provided with an objective lens with a high numerical aperture, a defocus arises from thermal drift, etc., necessitating auto-focusing. Conventional auto-focus based on through-focus image acquisition takes time, and thus, it cannot be applied to continuous measurement over a long time wherein high-speed sampling is carried out. The present invention addresses this problem by having a defocus-sensing beam that has either defocus or astigmatism fall incident on the objective lens. Since how the image of the spot of the beam for defocus sensing blurs differs depending on the orientation of the defocus, real-time detection of the amount and orientation of defocus becomes possible, and high-speed realtime auto-focus becomes possible.

The present application discloses a system comprising a compact curved grating (CCG) and its associated compact curved grating spectrometer (COGS) or compact curved grating wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (WMDM) module and a method for making the same. The system is capable of achieving a very small (resolution vs. size) RS factor. The location of the entrance slit and detector can be adjusted in order to have the best performance for a particular design goal. The initial groove spacing is calculated using a prescribed formula dependent on operation wavelength. The location of the grooves is calculated based on two conditions. The first one being that the path-difference between adjacent grooves should be an integral multiple of the wavelength in the medium to achieve aberration-free grating focusing at the detector or a first anchor output slit even with large beam diffraction angle from the entrance slit or input slit, the second one being specific for a particular design goal of a curved-grating spectrometer.

A spectrometer includes a first spectroscopic unit and a second spectroscopic unit. A light passing part, a reflection part, a common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the first spectroscopic unit are arranged along a first reference line when viewed in a Z-axis direction. A light passing part, a reflection part, the common reflection part, a dispersive part, and a light detection part included in the second spectroscopic unit are arranged along a second reference line when viewed in the Z-axis direction. The first reference line and the second reference line intersect with one another.

A spectral sensor and a method for forming the spectral sensor is disclosed. The spectral sensor includes a planar waveguide on a substrate; a restriction mechanism that restricts a range of angles of incidence of light impinging onto the chirped input coupling grating; the chirped input grating formed to couple incident light into the planar waveguide, wherein the chirped input coupling grating comprises a first transverse chirp to provide a spectrally selective coupling of incident light into the planar waveguide; a propagation region to filter out light that is not coupled into the planar waveguide; a detector array arranged on the opposite side of the propagation region from the chirped input coupling grating to receive light coupled out of the planar waveguide and produce output signals representative of the light; and an electrical circuit to readout output signals from the detector array.