阅读说明：本技术 光谱仪设备 (Spectrometer apparatus ) 是由 斯特凡·蒙克 米夏埃尔·奥克鲁斯 于 2019-06-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种光谱仪设备。光谱仪设备(10)包括：用于在主色散方向上对光线进行光谱分解的第一色散元件(31)；用于在横向色散方向上对光线进行光谱分解的第二色散元件(21),横向色散方向与主色散方向成角度,从而能够产生二维光谱；准直光学器件(17),其将光线准直地引导到第一和/或第二色散元件(31、21)；相机光学器件(34),其将光谱成像到图像平面(41)内；用于在图像平面(41)内探测二维光谱的二维探测器(39)；以及布置在相机光学器件(34)和探测器(39)之间的旋转对称的折射元件(35)的轴外截段。本发明还公开了包括这样的光谱仪设备(10)的光学组件。(The invention discloses a spectrometer device. The spectrometer arrangement (10) comprises: a first dispersive element (31) for spectrally resolving light in a principal dispersion direction; a second dispersive element (21) for spectrally resolving the light in a transverse dispersion direction, the transverse dispersion direction being at an angle to the principal dispersion direction, thereby enabling a two-dimensional spectrum to be generated; collimating optics (17) which direct the light collimated to the first and/or second dispersive element (31, 21); camera optics (34) that image the spectrum into an image plane (41); a two-dimensional detector (39) for detecting a two-dimensional spectrum in an image plane (41); and an off-axis section of a rotationally symmetric refractive element (35) arranged between the camera optics (34) and the detector (39). An optical assembly comprising such a spectrometer device (10) is also disclosed.)

1. A spectrometer apparatus (10), the spectrometer apparatus comprising:

A first dispersive element (31) for spectrally resolving light in a principal dispersion direction,

-a second dispersive element (21) for spectrally resolving light in a transverse dispersion direction, the transverse dispersion direction being at an angle to the main dispersion direction, so as to produce a two-dimensional spectrum,

-collimating optics (17) to direct light collimated to the first and/or second dispersive element (31, 21),

-camera optics (34) imaging a spectrum into an image plane (41),

-a two-dimensional detector (39) for detecting the two-dimensional spectrum in the image plane (41), and

-an off-axis section of a rotationally symmetric refractive element (35) arranged between the camera optics (34) and the detector (39).

2. the spectrometer arrangement (10) according to claim 1, wherein the refractive element (35) is configured as a biconvex lens.

3. the spectrometer arrangement (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the refractive element (35) is configured as a spherical lens.

4. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one lens face is configured as an aspheric face.

5. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the refractive element (35) comprises a mirrored section.

6. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the refractive element (35) is made of a weakly dispersive material, in particular calcium fluoride.

7. The spectrometer arrangement (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the collimating optics (17) and/or the camera optics (34) comprise a concave mirror, in particular a parabolic mirror or a spherical mirror.

8. the spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the first dispersive element (31) is configured as an echelle grating.

9. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first dispersive element (31) is replaced by a mirror arranged perpendicular to an image plane of the detector, and wherein the two-dimensional detector (39) is replaced by a one-dimensional detector.

10. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the second dispersive element (21) is configured as a prism.

11. The spectrometer arrangement (10) according to claim 10, wherein the prism is mirrored at the back side.

12. The spectrometer arrangement (10) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the prism is rotatably supported.

13. The spectrometer device (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the spectrometer device (10) forms a littrow spectrometer.

14. Optical assembly for retrofitting a spectrometer arrangement (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical assembly comprises at least a refractive element (35).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a spectrometer apparatus and an optical assembly comprising a spectrometer apparatus.

Background

an example for such a spectrometer device is an echelle spectrometer with internal order separation (ordnungstennung). The problem on which the invention is based is explained below in terms of an echelle spectrometer.

Such a spectrometer device is known, for example, from DE 102009059280 a 1.

Gratings with a stepped cross-section are used in echelle spectrometers. By illuminating the short sides of the stepped structure at corresponding blaze angles, a diffraction pattern is generated which concentrates diffraction intensities of higher orders, e.g. the fiftieth up to the hundredth order. Thereby, a high spectral resolution can be achieved in a compact device. Depending on the incident wavelength, the orders may overlap. In an echelle spectrometer with internal order separation, the orders are therefore dispersed again transversely to the dispersion direction of the echelle grating in order to separate the different orders that occur. A two-dimensional spectrum is thus obtained which can be detected by the flat panel detector.

An echelle spectrometer with internal order separation differs from an echelle spectrometer with external order separation in that in the latter case only light from a small spectral range enters the spectrometer. In an echelle spectrometer with internal order separation, the spectrum is generated in the detector plane in the form of a two-dimensional structure. This structure consists of spectral regions arranged substantially parallel to each other. For a specific wavelength range, the free spectral range of the individual diffraction orders synthetically yields a seamless spectrum. The use of a planar detector with a plurality of detector elements allows a large wavelength range to be detected simultaneously with high spectral resolution.

In a spectrometer device, the quality of the spectrum generated in the image plane is limited by different imaging errors, in particular by astigmatism, coma or spherical distortion. If light of a certain wavelength is not concentrated on the detector in a single pixel when imaging the source point, but is distributed over a larger area in the image plane, this impairs the spectral resolving power of the spectrometer when the pixels are spread in the dispersion direction and/or leads to a poorer signal-to-noise ratio when the pixels are spread transversely to the dispersion direction. In the particular case of an echelle spectrometer, i.e. where multiple diffraction orders are imaged in sequence, imaging errors that cause pixels to spread transverse to the direction of principal dispersion may cause signal crosstalk between adjacent diffraction orders.

Disclosure of Invention

The task of the invention is that: the image quality of an optical spectrometer is improved by greatly reducing optical image errors such as astigmatism, coma, or spherical distortion.

This task is solved by a spectrometer arrangement comprising: a first dispersive element for spectrally resolving light in a principal dispersion direction; a second dispersive element for spectrally resolving the light in a transverse dispersion direction, the transverse dispersion direction being at an angle to the principal dispersion direction, so that a two-dimensional spectrum can be generated; collimating optics directing the light collimated to the first and/or second dispersive elements; camera optics that image the spectrum into an image plane; a two-dimensional detector for detecting a two-dimensional spectrum in an image plane; and an off-axis section of a rotationally symmetric refractive element arranged between the camera optics and the detector.

In the spectrometer arrangement, the incident light of the light source is dispersed, i.e. deflected in different spatial directions depending on the wavelength by means of at least a first and/or a second dispersive element. By imaging the separated bundle of light rays by means of the camera optics, an image of the spectrum of the light source is generated in the image plane, which image is recorded by a detector with sufficient spatial resolution.

By inserting the off-axis segments of the rotationally symmetric refractive element into the converging light path between the camera optics and the detector, a significant reduction of the above-mentioned imaging errors over the entire image field is achieved.

The arrangement of the refractive element between the camera optics and the detector is particularly effective, since the individual light beams are already geometrically separated relatively strongly and thus a "unique" adjustment is achieved for the individual wavelengths. The refractive element can be adapted accordingly better to the respective correction requirements of the light beam. This is possible due to the low relative beam overlap (see below). If a corresponding refractive element is inserted in the parallel optical path, this will have a similar effect for all wavelengths, and the correction will have a similar effect for all wavelengths accordingly. The arrangement of the refractive element as an optical correction element in front of the detector allows a very compact design, since all detected wavelengths are already significantly narrowed at the location of the diameter of the beam cluster.

The individual light beams run substantially parallel to the refractive element behind the camera optics. By configuring the refractive element as a converging lens, and in particular as a biconvex lens in embodiments, the individual beams are pushed closer together on the detector. Thereby, the spectrum on the detector becomes smaller, or in other words the measurement range is widened.

However, the individual rays within each beam are directed definitively towards individual points on the detector. The light rays within each beam are focused by the camera optics onto a detector or onto an image plane. Many rays of one wavelength converge and therefore better meet at various points through the refractive element. In other words, the dot images of the respective wavelengths become smaller, or the dot spread function (PSF) becomes narrower.

The relative beam overlap is a percentage parameter and can be calculated unambiguously for both wavelengths. The relative beam overlap at a determined position in the optical path in the spectrometer device is the reciprocal arithmetic ratio between the beam cross-sectional area of the selected monochromatic light beam at this position and the partial area of the beam cross-sectional area also spanned by the second monochromatic light beam. The refractive element is arranged at a location where the overlap of the opposing beams is smaller than on the collimating optics. The relative beam overlap satisfies this condition only in the converging and diverging paths between the camera optics and the detector and in the region of the intermediate image. However, the overlapping of the opposing beams in parallel paths, for example in the beam path in front of the dispersive element, does not satisfy this condition. The refractive element is configured as a prism.

The term "off-axis section of the rotationally symmetric refractive element" also includes the partially transmissive part of the rotationally symmetric refractive element outside its axis.

In one embodiment, the refractive element is configured as a lenticular lens.

In one embodiment, the lens is configured as a spherical lens.

The axis of the lens is defined as a straight line that forms a right angle with both optical faces at the point of penetration. The off-axis section of the rotationally symmetrical element is a volume section whose center is not penetrated by the axis. The element is a section of a rotationally symmetrical body, but is not rotationally symmetrical in itself.

In order to improve the performance of the refractive element even further, in one embodiment an aspherical lens is used.

Fresnel reflections may occur for the refractive optical element. Thereby producing unwanted multiple reflections (false light). In one embodiment, the refractive element thus comprises a broadband mirroring section.

In the case of a measuring system in which the detected wavelength range can be varied, in order to reduce chromatic aberrations, a low-dispersion material is used as the material of the refractive element, in one embodiment for example calcium fluoride (CaF ₂).

In one embodiment, the optimal form of the refractive element (bend radius, off-axis distance, lens thickness, lens material, orientation, position relative to camera optics, position relative to detector, lens rotation) is determined by using a ray computation program. By formulating a suitable objective function (merit function) and then applying an optimization algorithm to the optics design according to the objective function, parameters can be found that minimize the pixel size over the entire image area. By formulating a suitable evaluation function and subsequently optimizing the released parameters, it is also possible to achieve simultaneous improvement of further device characteristics.

As already mentioned, the position of the refractive element in front of the detector is advantageous, since the separation of the light beams of the individual wavelengths has already been significantly improved (the relative beam overlap is low) and can thus have an influence more specifically on the individual light beams. The relatively small set of free parameters even in the case of spherical lenses allows various correction requirements for different wavelengths to be effectively addressed.

In one embodiment, the collimating optics and/or the camera optics comprise concave mirrors, in particular parabolic mirrors or spherical mirrors.

In one embodiment, the first dispersive element is configured as an echelle grating.

In an embodiment, the first dispersive element is replaced by a mirror arranged perpendicular to the image plane of the detector, and wherein the two-dimensional detector is replaced by a one-dimensional detector. Thus, a prism spectrometer was obtained.

In one embodiment, the second dispersive element is configured as a prism.

In one embodiment, the prism is mirrored on the back side.

In one embodiment, the prism is rotatably supported. The wavelength range to be examined can thereby be adjusted.

In one embodiment, the spectrometer device forms a Littrow spectrometer (Littrow-Spektrometer). Thus, the collimator also simultaneously forms a camera mirror, which images the image onto the detector.

in one embodiment, the detector is configured as a CCD array or CMOS detector.

This task is further solved by an optical assembly for retrofitting a spectrometer arrangement as described above, wherein the assembly comprises at least a refractive element.

By means of the claimed refractive element, not only the image quality of the spectrometer device can be improved. Additional device features related to image quality may also vary. One possible solution is to increase the light guiding ratio by increasing the aperture ratio while maintaining the same image quality compared to the original design. There is further a possibility to miniaturize the spectrometer by reducing the focal length while maintaining the spectral resolving power when increasing the aperture ratio. Because acceptable distortion values are achieved over a larger image field, a larger detector may be used to extend the range of wavelengths that are simultaneously detected.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail with reference to the attached figures. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows the construction of the claimed spectrometer apparatus;

FIG. 2 shows distortion measured using an uncorrected spectrometer device;

FIG. 3 illustrates distortion measured using the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a single spot in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a single spot in FIG. 3; and

Fig. 6 shows distortion measured using the apparatus of fig. 1, with additional wavelengths.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows the construction of the claimed spectrometer apparatus, identified by reference numeral 10. The light of the light source 11 is guided in a bundle 13 to an entrance slit 15 of the spectrometer device 10, from which the light enters the actual spectrometer. An example of the light source 11 is a plasma torch such as that used in ICP-OES (english: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, i.e., "optical emission spectroscopy by inductively coupled plasma"). In this case, the system is used to detect wavelengths between 165nm and 900 nm.

the light incident into the spectrometer includes all wavelengths of light emitted by the light source. The light beam is collimated 19 by collimating optics 17, for example a concave mirror. The collimated light then reaches (in the wording of the present application) a second dispersive element, in particular a prism 21, which acts as an optical order splitting unit. The rear side 23 of the prism 21 is mirrored.

the light pre-dispersed by the prism, here illustrated with reference numerals 25, 27 and 29, for example according to the wavelengths λ ₁, λ ₂ and λ ₃, reaches the primary dispersion element, i.e. the echelle grating 31, from which it is diffracted into a plurality of diffraction orders with higher order numbers, the orders may also overlap strongly spatially on the grating 31. in the littrow arrangement illustrated here, the light beams from the grating again reach the mirrored prism 21, 23, at which time the different wavelengths 25, 27, 29 are again dispersed transversely to the primary dispersion direction, on the rear side of the prism the light beams of the different exemplary wavelengths λ ₁, λ ₂ and λ ₃ (25, 27, 29) overlap significantly due to the large beam diameter, see reference numeral 33.

The light is directed from prism 21 back to concave mirror 17 and concave mirror 17 performs the imaging of the light beam onto detector 39. The spectrometer arrangement in the littrow arrangement is illustrated, i.e. the concave mirror 17 is also constructed as a camera optics 34.

The detector 39 is, for example, a CCD detector, as an area detector (2D detector). For example, the resolution of the detector is 1000 × 1000. The detector 39 is oriented such that the orientation of the columns is approximately the same as the diffraction order. The entire detector 39 is read simultaneously.

On the way to the detector 39, the light beam, which narrows down (due to the camera optics 34), passes the refractive element 35, the refractive element 35 is here constructed as a lens body, the two optically active faces of the lenticular lens body are designed as spheres, CaF ₂ is used as lens body material in order to keep the color errors caused by the lens body 35 as small as possible, further, the optically active faces of the lens body 35 are provided with a mirror coating to limit as much as possible the false light generation at the detector 39, the beam diameter is already small at the correction lens 35, so that a complete beam separation is obtained for the example wavelength illustrated here, see reference numeral 44.

In general, the refractive element 35 forms an off-axis segment of a rotationally symmetric refractive element.

the corrected light beams of wavelengths λ ₁, λ ₂ and λ ₃ (reference numerals 25, 27, 29) are further directed to a detector unit 39. by correction of the prismatic lens body 35, very sharp pixels can be produced on the detector in the image plane 41. the positioning of the correcting lens body 35 in close proximity to the detector 39 is particularly suitable for improving image quality due to good beam separation.

Instead of an echelle grating used as the primary dispersive element 31, a mirror perpendicular to the plane of the spectrometer may be used. A pure prism spectrometer is obtained which benefits from a similar degree of distortion correction as the prismatic lenticules described above. Since the distortion is significantly reduced, a slit having a large slit height can be used. The slit orientation is changed by 90 ° compared to the echelle spectrometer and therefore the geometrical photoconductivity of the spectrometer is significantly improved.

Figure 2 shows the distortion of the spectrometer device uncorrected. Fig. 4 shows a corresponding single spot 42.

Fig. 3 shows the image quality achievable over the entire image field 41 using the spectrometer arrangement 10 with the correction optics 35 as described above, the optical arrangement is a littrow spectrometer with a focal length of 400mm and an aperture ratio of f/12.5, using an off-axis parabolic mirror as collimator/camera, the grating is a stepped grating in R4, in the light calculation simulation shown, a wavelength range between 380nm (upper detector limit) and 900nm (lower detector limit) is detected simultaneously by a detector with an area of 20.5 × 20.5mm ², the spots shown represent images of individual source points of different wavelengths, the pixels are magnified by a factor of 15 in scale compared to the detector face, for the above wavelength range the optical system, in particular the construction of the prismatic lens 35, is optimized, the distortion can be reduced over the entire image field using the correction lens 35, the same spectral range occupies less space in the main dispersion direction and the transverse dispersion direction compared to the uncorrected system, the single spot shown in the enlarged box in fig. 3.

The image quality of a single spot 43 is shown in fig. 5 with a prismatic correction lens 35 corresponding to the situation illustrated in fig. 1. Parameters of the correction lens, such as positioning, orientation, radius of curvature and off-axis distance, are determined in order to reduce the spot size over the entire image field as strongly as possible. The spread of the light spots can be significantly reduced over the entire image field. Now, the performance of the system is limited by diffraction for a large part of the covered wavelength range.

as mentioned, the correction lens 35 is configured for a wavelength range between 380nm and 900 nm. In an echelle spectrometer with a prism as the transverse dispersive element, optimization for the long wavelength range is worthwhile because the diffraction orders are more closely adjacent with increasing wavelength: in order to achieve a separation of the diffraction orders at the entrance slit 15 at as large a slit height as possible, the best possible image quality in this wavelength range is desired. By rotating the prism 21, other wavelength ranges, in particular shorter wavelength ranges, can now also be guided onto the detector 39. Fig. 4 shows that the color error caused by the refractive element 35 is relatively small. In addition to the wavelength of the selected long-wave range (red; reference numeral 47), 9 points in the short-wave range (blue; reference numeral 49) in the wavelength range between 165nm and 171nm are also illustrated. The distortion is also significantly smaller than in the uncorrected state. Due to the smaller width of the free spectral range of the diffraction orders of the shorter wavelength light, the light spot is only in the center of the detector in the main dispersion direction. In the short-wave measurement range, the detector regions located further to the left or further to the right are not used.

List of reference numerals

10 spectrometer apparatus

11 light source

13 light source 11

15 entrance slit

17 collimating optics

19 parallel light after 17 in the beam course

21 second dispersive element, in particular prism

2321 at the back side

25 first wavelength range

27 second wavelength range

29 third wavelength range

31 first dispersive element, in particular echelle grating

3325. Overlap of the beams 27, 29 on 23 after passing 31

34 camera optics

35 refractive element

39 Detector

4139 plane of the image

42 uncorrected single spot

43 corrected single spot

4425. 27, 29 of light beams at 35

47 long wave range

49 short wave range