Optimizing equipment for optical spectroscopy

In this third session of a four-part ‘Fundamentals of Spectroscopy’ course, having previously covered the ‘why’, we’ll now focus on the ‘how’. There is currently a dizzying array of tools available for spectroscopy, but the fundamental goal remains the same. Here we will discuss the current state-of-the-art common spectroscopy components – spectrometers, detectors, and associated optics – as well as their historical development. We will discuss some of the technological breakthroughs that have made the heroic measurements of yesterday commonplace practice today, as well as how different equipment has evolved to suit the particular needs of different experiments.

Key learning objectives

• Discover the function of a spectrograph and how the earliest spectrographs achieved this
• Understand the difference between a prism and grating spectrograph and learn why grating spectrographs are significantly more common
• Consider what is meant by “dispersion” in a spectrometer, what is spectral resolution, and how the two concepts relate to each other

Who should attend?

• Academic researchers
• R&D scientists
• Lab technicians
• Principal investigators
• Laboratory, facilities or corporate managers
• Postdoctoral research assistants
• Undergraduate and PhD students
• Engineers or software engineers
• Teaching fellows

Certificate of attendance

All webinar participants can request a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes.