Spectrometer 2.0 – 5.0 μm

Readout Rate

Up to 130 kHz full-spectrum

Sensitivity

Down to 5 pW/nm

Bandwidth

2.0 – 5.0 μm

Optical Input

SMA-905 fiber connector or free space

Resolution

2.5 - 6 cm-1

Exposure Time

Down to 1.3 µs

Mid-IR Spectrometer: Bringing Mid-Infrared Light to Near Visible Light

The NLIR 2.0 – 5.0 µm Mid-IR Spectrometer is based on a novel measurement scheme that upconverts the MIR light to near-visible light. Using advanced silicon-based light detectors allows outperforming conventional MIR light detectors in sensitivity, speed, and noise, bringing these attractive features and their advantages to the MIR regime.

The NLIR Mid-IR Spectrometer models have sensitivities of -80 dBm/nm or better, with an unprecedented maximum full-spectrum readout rate of 130 kHz! As a result, the spectrometer enables the characterization of light sources and measuring spectral content from chemical processes with a time resolution of less than 10 µs.

The spectrometer is made in different models: S2050–400 is the most sensitive with a maximum 400 Hz full spectrum readout rate; S2050–1k is faster and has better resolution but lower sensitivity; S2050–130k has the best resolution and the highest readout rate. All versions come with an external trigger and a GUI interface for easy plug–and–play measurements in various applications; additionally, API interfaces for MATLAB, Python and C (DLLs) are available.

NLIR spectrometers are also available in convenient bundles that include a light source, optical fibers and probes to perform general transmission and reflection measurements, or measurements on well-defined small areas such as those required during the inspection of small silicon wafer production. Get in touch to discuss your application and request a quote for an instrument or a bundle that meet your needs!

General Specs
Model	S2050-400	S2050-1K*	S2050-130K*
Optical Bandwidth	2-5 µm	2-5 µm	2-5 µm
Resolution	6 cm-1	3 cm-1	2.5 cm-1
Exposure Time (1)	10.8 - 1E6 µs	9 - 1E6 µs	1.3 - 654 µs
Max Readout Rate	400	1E3 Hz	130 kHz
Bit Depth	16	16	12
Dark Noise std. (2)	20 counts	60 counts	1 counts
Minimum Detection Power in 100 ms	10 pW/nm	150 pW/nm	50 pW/nm
Optical Input (3)	SMA-905 Fiber Connector	SMA-905 Fiber Connector	SMA-905 Fiber Connector
Polarization Direction	Vertical	Vertical	Vertical
Maximum Operating Temperaturee	30 °C	30 °C	30 °C
Physical Dimensions (H x L x W)	100 x 306 x 200 mm(3)	100 x 306 x 200 mm(3)	100 x 306 x 200 mm(3)
Weight (4)	5 kg	5 kg	5 kg

Footnotes:

* Spectrometer is a bundle of two devices connected by optical fiber.

1) Longer effective exposure times can be achieved for the S2050-130k model by stacking acquired spectra.
2) At minimum exposure time.
3) Fiber port is removable for free-space use.
4) For bundle devices: add weight of second device (approx. 2 kg).

Optical Coating Measurements

A 30 W globar was used as light source for these transmission measurement of coated optical windows: a Ge bandpass filter (BPF) for 3.7 – 4.5 µm and a YAG mirror coated with high reflection at 1064 nm and high-transmission at 2.1 – 4.5 µm. The S2050-400 spectrometer was set to 20 ms exposure time and capturing just single shots. No averaging or smoothing has been applied to the data subsequently. Such measurements are used for coating quality control or even production monitoring.

80 kHz Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy

The drive current of a mid-infrared laser at 3329 nm is modulated in amplitude at 1 kHz and the ultra-fast 80 kHz edition of the NLIR 2.0 – 5.0 µm spectrometer measures the laser spectrum with a temporal resolution of 12.5 µs. When the drive current is modulated, the amplitude and center frequency of the laser changes, and these characteristics are clearly visible in the data shown in the figure. Measurement done by Marc-Simon Bahr at HAW Hamburg, Department of Information and Electrical Engineering.

kHz-Rate Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical coherence tomography is a well-known in-depth imaging technique in the near infrared that, however, has numerous advantages in the mid-infrared region. The NLIR upconversion technology is used to realize kHz line-rate spectroscopy that enables live mid-infrared OCT monitoring.

40 kHz Single Pulse Measurement

Single pulses from a super-continuum light source with a bandwidth of approx. 3.5 µm – 4.2 µm and a repetition rate of 40 kHz of 2 ns pulses were measured with 80 kHz full-spectrum readout rate. In the figure, (a) shows raw data of 12 ms data acquisition, (b) shows a zoom where every other readout is empty as expected from 40 kHz rep-rate and 80 kHz sampling, (c) shows 10 raw consecutive spectra. The fluctuations in the spectra is by far dominated by noise from the light source.

Based on this measurement, the S2050-130k spectrometer is capable of characterizing fast modulations of infrared lasers and other dynamic events.

Plastic Transmission

A 30 W globar was used as the light source for these transmission measurements of a 50 µm polystyrene (PS) film and a 800 µm polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The S2050-400 spectrometer was set to 20 ms exposure time and capturing just single shots. No averaging or smoothing has been applied to the data subsequently.

Computer algorithms can certainly tolerate a much shorter exposure time, and thus a faster acquisition, in the context of plastic recognition or thickness analysis.

Fiber Reflection Probe

A fiber reflection probe is a single-bounce attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystal that has fiber-coupled input and output. In this measurement, light from a 30W globar was coupled to the input fiber, and the output fiber was connected to the S2050-400 spectrometer. By first taking a reference with the ATR probe in air, the probe was subsequently inserted into water, propane-2-ol, and sunflower oil, respectively, producing these absorption plots. The measurements were single-shot at an exposure time of 100 ms, and a 4-pixel wide Gauss filter was scanned through the data for smoothing.

Demo 1:

Measuring liquid content with a mid-infrared fiber probe.

How?
By using NLIR‘s S2050 spectrometer, you get a fast response and accurate resolution so you can monitor liquid content in real-time.

Demo 2

Capturing 80.000 infrared spectra per second.

How?
NLIR‘s kHz-rate spectrometer can upconvert mid-IR light to near visible wavelengths. Utilize CMOS technology to capture the photons.

Data Sheet

Application Examples

The NLIR 2.0 - 5.0 µm Spectrometer Measurements — The NLIR 2.0 – 5.0 µm Spectrometer Measurements

Free Spectrometer Software Included

A simple and easy-to-use software program.
Data live stream, external trigger mode, background capture, transmission view, data saving, etc.
API for spectrometers in MATLAB and Python available upon request

Description
Additional information

Mid-IR Spectrometer: Bringing Mid-Infrared Light to Near Visible Light

This is a convenient and portable spectrometer.

See Goyalab Spectrometers:

Product Details:

Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is used to analyze MIR light sources. (In both industry and research, for non-invasive characterization of gases, liquids, and solids as well as characterization of light sources.) The NLIR 2.0 – 5.0 µm Spectrometer is based on a scheme that upconverts the MIR light to near-visible light. Silicon-based near-visible light detectors are far superior to MIR light detectors in terms of detectivity, speed, and noise. The NLIR upconversion technology, therefore, brings these attractive features and the advantages that follow, to the MIR regime.

Both editions seen below have sensitivities at -80 dBm/nm or better. The maximum full-spectrum readout rate is 130 kHz! As a result, the spectrometer enables the characterization of light sources. It also measures spectral content from chemical processes with a time resolution of less than 10 µs.

1	Wavelength Range: 2-5 µm
2	Resolution: 2.5-6 cm-1
3	Readout Rate: Up to 130 kHz
4	Sensitivity: Down to 5 pW/nm
5	Exposure Time: Down to 1.3 µs

Spectrometer 2.0 – 5.0 μm