Spectrometers, Ultraviolet and Visible Light

Abstract

A wide variety of instruments exist for recording the intensity of light as a function of wavelength. In the visible and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum, these include dispersive spectrometers (based on gratings and prisms) and nondispersive spectrometers (usually interferometric in nature). A discussion of the main kinds of visible and ultraviolet spectrometers is given along with their advantages and drawbacks in terms of resolution, accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use. Considerations for choosing the design of an optical spectrometer are outlined, and the main aberrations associated with common optical designs are discussed.