Here is a picture of the optical spectrometer. More info is included at the bottom of this page.

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An optical spectrometer is an instrument capable of measuring the intensity versus wavelength or "spectrum" of a source.The main conponents of a spectrometer system are shown in Figure 1 and include an entrance slit, a collimating element( to make the rays parallel, usually a mirror M1) a dispersing element(a diffraction grating), a focusing element (a mirror M2), an exit slit, and a photodetector.

At Bucknell, we have a SPEX500M with variable exit and entrance sllits and adjustable from 3micrometers to 3millimeters.(For your reference, this snazzy system cost about $22,000) The smaller the slits, the higher the resolution, but the smaller the signal. A computer controls the stepper motors on the 500M which move the diffraction grating to change the wavelength of light at the exit slit i.e. perform a wavelength scan.

This information is exerpted from Sources of Light a lab performed by the EE341 class. To see the description of the lab click here.

last updated 7/9/97