Spectral encoder

US7324196B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• Neil Goldstein · Belmont, US
• Pajo Vujkovic-Cvijin · Los Altos, US
• Marsha J. Fox · Lexington, US
• Steven Adler-Golden · Newton, US
• Jamine Lee · Burlington, US
• Jason A. Cline · Burlington, US
• Brian Gregor · Waltham, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 13, 2006
• Grant date: Jan 29, 2008
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01J3/2846
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A spectral encoder for producing spectrally selected images of a radiation field containing multiple spectral components. An imaging spectrograph defines a first optical path that produces from the input radiation field a spectrally dispersed image comprising multiple spectral components displaced along a dispersion direction. Spectral pass bands are encoded on the dispersed image by a programmable spatial light modulator using one or more spatial masks. The imaging spectrograph further defines a second optical path that reverses the spectral dispersion of the first path and produces a spectrally-encoded polychromatic output image containing only those spectral components encoded by the spatial mask. The first and second optical paths share a common dispersing element. A detector records at least one spatial region of the spectrally encoded output image.