Spectrometer and integrating sphere

Abstract

An integrating sphere for a spectrometer, including: an integrating spherical body with a light entrance window for allowing an entry of light emitted from a sample, a first light detection window, and a second light detection window; a first detector attachment section located on the outside of the first light detection window; and a second detector attachment section located on the outside of the second light detection window in such a manner that the detection field of a detector to be attached to the second detector attachment section coincides with the detection field of a detector to be attached to the first detector attachment section.

Claims

1. An integrating sphere for a spectrometer, comprising: a) an integrating spherical body with a light entrance window for allowing light emitted from a sample to enter an inner space of the integrating spherical body; b) a first detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a first detection window provided at one of two points of intersection of the integrating spherical body and a second straight line passing through a center of the integrating spherical body in a direction orthogonal to a first straight line passing through the light entrance window and the center; c) a second detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a second detection window provided at another one of the two points of intersection; and d) a third detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a third detection window provided on the integrating spherical body in such a manner that a normal to a detection surface of the third detector passes through either the first detection window or the second detection window.

2. The integrating sphere for a spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third detectors is provided with a position adjuster for adjusting a position of the detectors.

3. The integrating sphere for a spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein the normal to the detection surface of the third detector passes through one of the first and second detection windows located at a greater distance from the third detection window.

4. The integrating sphere for a spectrometer according to claim 1, further comprising: e) a light source for casting light to the light entrance window along an optical path which does not pass through the center of the integrating spherical body.

5. The integrating sphere for a spectrometer according to claim 4, wherein a plane including the center of the integrating spherical body and the optical path is perpendicular to the second straight line.

6. The integrating sphere for a spectrometer according to claim 4, wherein: the light source is located outside the integrating spherical body; and the integrating spherical body is provided with a light introduction window for introducing light from the light source into the inner space of the integrating spherical body.

7. A spectrometer including an integrating sphere, the integrating sphere comprising: a) an integrating spherical body with a light entrance window for allowing light emitted from a sample to enter an inner space of the integrating spherical body; b) a first detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a first-detection window provided at one of two points of intersection of the integrating spherical body and a second straight line passing through a center of the integrating spherical body in a direction orthogonal to a first straight line passing through the light entrance window and the center; c) a second detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a second detection window provided at another one of the two points of intersection; and d) a third detector attached to the integrating spherical body on an outside of a third detection window provided on the integrating spherical body in such a manner that a normal to a detection surface of the third detector passes through either the first detection window or the second detection window.

8. The spectrometer according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the first, second and third detectors is provided with a position adjuster for adjusting a position of the detector.

9. The spectrometer according to claim 7, wherein the normal to the detection surface of the third detector passes through one of the first and second detection windows located at a greater distance from the third detection window.

10. The spectrometer according to claim 7, further comprising: e) a light source for casting light to the light entrance window along an optical path which does not pass through the center of the integrating spherical body.

11. The spectrometer according to claim 10, wherein a plane including the center of the integrating spherical body and the optical path is perpendicular to the second straight line.

12. The spectrometer according to claim 10, wherein: the light source is located outside the integrating spherical body; and the integrating spherical body is provided with a light introduction window for introducing light from the light source into the inner space of the integrating spherical body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the main components of a spectrometer including a conventional integrating sphere.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the detectors in a spectrometer including a conventional integrating sphere.

(3) FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the wavelength-sensitivity characteristics of a PMT detector, PbS detector and InGaAs detector.

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the detection fields of the detectors in a spectrometer including a conventional integrating sphere.

(5) FIG. 5 a configuration diagram showing the main components of a spectrometer including an integrating sphere according to the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparison of the measurement discrepancy between the case where the spectrometer of the present embodiment is used and the case where a conventional spectrometer is used.

(7) FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating one embodiment of the detector attachment section having a position adjuster.

(8) FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a variation of the integrating sphere according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(9) An embodiment of the spectrometer including an integrating sphere according to the present invention is hereinafter described with reference to FIGS. 5-8.

(10) FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the main components of one embodiment of the spectrometer including an integrating sphere according to the present invention. The present embodiment is a spectrometer in which light generated from a light source outside the integrating sphere is introduced through a light introduction window 2 into the sphere to irradiate a sample 4 with the light and detect diffuse light reflected by the sample 4. In the present embodiment, the X, Y and Z axes are defined in a similar to the previously described example, with the points of intersection of the Z axis and the integrating sphere referred to as the polar points.

(11) In the spectrometer of the present embodiment, the integrating sphere is provided with a light introduction window 2, light entrance window 3, as well as three light detection windows 10, 11 and 13. First, second and third detector attachment sections 10b, 13b and 11b are provided at the three light detection windows. The light detection windows 10 and 11 are located at the polar points, while the light detection window 13 is formed at a position displaced from the polar points toward the side closer to the sample 4. The first, second and third detectors 10a, 13a and 11a are attached to the first, second and third detector attachment sections 10b, 13b and 11b, respectively.

(12) The spectrometer of the present embodiment is characterized in that the detector attachment sections allow the direction of the detector attached to each attachment section to be freely changed. In the spectrometer of the present embodiment, this feature is utilized so as to make the detection field of the first detector 10a attached to the first detector attachment section coincide with that of the second detector 13a attached to the second detector attachment section 13b. In the present embodiment, only the second detector 13a at the second detector attachment section 13b is attached in a different direction from the conventional case (FIG. 4). It is also possible to change the attachment direction of the detectors at both the first and second detector attachment sections 10b and 13b so as to make the detection fields of the two detectors 10a and 13a attached to the two attachment sections coincide with each other. As already explained with reference to FIG. 2, the detection field of the third detector 11a attached to the third detector attachment section 11b is equal to the detection field of the first detector 10a.

(13) As just described, the detection fields of the first detector 10a and the second detector 13a in the present embodiment are made to coincide with each other, so that these detectors receive light from detection fields having equal intensity distributions. Therefore, the measurement discrepancy becomes smaller than in the case of a conventional spectrometer in which the intensity of the light from a sample is measured with a detector located at a position different from the polar points. Although three detectors are used in the present embodiment, the number of detectors may be arbitrarily changed, because the position of the detector attachment sections in the integrating sphere according to the present invention is not limited to the polar points.

(14) The measurement discrepancy which occurs when the detectors are switched in the spectrometer of the present embodiment has been investigated and compared with the measurement discrepancy which occurs in a conventional spectrometer. In any of these spectrometers, three types of detectors (PMT detector, InGaAs detector and PbS detector) were used and the detector-switching operation was performed at wavelengths of 830 nm and 1650 nm. The result shown in FIG. 6 demonstrates that the measurement discrepancy can be dramatically reduced by using the spectrometer present embodiment.

(15) In the previous embodiment, detectors with the same viewing angles are used. It is also possible to use a plurality of detectors having different detection angles. In this case, a detector attachment section having a position adjuster for adjusting the position of the detector is used in order to make the detection fields of the detectors coincide with each other. FIGS. 7A and 7B show one example of the detector attachment section 14b having the position adjuster. Specifically, FIG. 7A shows the detection angle of the detector 14a attached in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, while FIG. 7B shows the detection angle of the detector 14a attached at a farther position from the outer surface of the integrating sphere. As can be seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the effective detection angle can be changed by moving the detector 14a closer to or farther from the outer surface of the integrating sphere using the position adjuster. With this mechanism, the detection fields of a plurality of types of detectors can be made to coincide with each other even those detectors have different detection angles.

(16) The previous embodiments are mere examples and can be appropriately changed within the spirit of the present invention.

(17) The previously described embodiment is concerned with the case where the attachment sections are configured so that the direction of the detector attached to each attachment section is freely changeable (moveable). If the types of detectors to be used are previously specified, the detector attachment sections may be configured so that the detectors attached to those sections will be fixed in such directions where their detection fields coincide with each other.

(18) In the previously described embodiment, at least one detector attachment section is provided at one of the polar points. However, it is not always necessary to provide the detector attachment sections at the polar points. For example, it is possible to provide detector attachment sections as indicated by numerals 13b and 15b in FIG. 8, with the detectors 13a and 15a attached as shown.

(19) The previously described embodiment is a spectrometer in which light generated from a light source outside the integrating sphere is introduced through a light introduction window to irradiate a sample with the light and detect diffuse light reflected by the sample. However, the integrating sphere according to the present invention can be used in various forms of spectrometers, such as a spectrometer in which light generated from a light source outside the integrating sphere is cast onto a sample and the light transmitted through the sample is introduced into the integrating sphere and thereby detected, as well as a spectrometer in which the light source is located within the integrating sphere. Depending on the configuration of the spectrometer, an integrating sphere with no light introduction window 2 is appropriately used.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(20) 1 . . . Integrating Sphere 2 . . . Light Introduction Window 3 . . . Light Entrance Window 4 . . . Sample 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 . . . Light Detection Window 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a . . . Detector 10b, 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b, 15b . . . Detector Attachment Section