Pseudo-Monolithic Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer Interferometer

High throughput IR spectrometer with no-moving parts and immunity to scene changes. Background The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has demonstrated a passive, broadband (8.4 to 11.2um), LWIR spectrometer with a resolving power of ~500 that has no moving parts, is immune to scene changes and has high throughput. It uses a compression assembly spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) interferometer (C-SHS) which employs precision spacers that result in a robust, self-aligning, economical assembly, and enables easy replacement of optical components. Benefits Rugged: No moving parts coupled with a self aligning, nestled design High throughput: Performance comparable to field widened FTS but much easier to design and implement field widening concepts Excellent on moving platforms and rapidly changing scenes: SHS is insensitive to spectral errors caused by changing scenes. It is ideal in applications where jitter is a concern such as on airplanes or ground vehicles and for imaging fast events such as combustion processes or explosions Reduced manufacturing cost: Broadened optical tolerances coupled with the simple flexible design allows C-SHS to enjoy reduced costs and assembly time compared to traditional monolithic SHS Status and Opportunity SHSs have been successfully deployed for satellite remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere, planetary astronomy, and laboratory spectroscopy. C-SHS in LWIR has been demostrated in the laboratory Available for license and commercialization: two issued U.S. Patents Peer-reviewed journal articles Potential for R&D; collaboration with inventor