A Compact, High Resolution Fourier Transform Interferometer for Atmospheric Spectroscopy in the Near Ultraviolet

Abstract

A new, compact Fourier Transform Michelson UV-visible interferometer (FTUV) with an apodized resolving power greater than 300,000 at 300nm, high throughput, and wide spectral coverage has been developed. This instrument features a flex pivot swing carriage mechanism driven by a voice coil actuator to achieve essentially frictionless motion with high mirror velocity stability. Small residual alignment errors are corrected dynamically to 0.1μrad using a servo-controlled piezo-electric driven mirror tilt mechanism. The instrument is designed for high resolution laboratory and atmospheric detection and spectroscopy of reactive radicals and molecules.