freely selectable wavelength, DUV to MIR
- Wavelength range from DUV to MIR
- Bandwidth from 0.7 nm to 28 nm
- Fast wavelength change
Our Spectrally Tunable Light Sources
Discover our tunable light sources:
Monochromator-F Fiber-to-Fiber-Monochromator
- Wavelength range 190 nm – 5,5 µm
- Plug and play optical gratings
- Use any fiber coupled light source
Monochromator-H with integrated halogen lamp
- Wavelength range from 340 nm to 2,0 µm
- Cost effective solution for medium power applications
- Ideal for spectroscopy and sensor testing
Hyperchromator for the XWS-30 from ISTEQ
- All wavelengths from DUV to NIR
- Developed for the laser-pumped XWS-30 light source from ISTEQ
- Plasma as entrance slit
Quotation for your tunable light source
We will get back to you with a proposal within 24 hours!
- Wavelength range: Approximate wavelength range in which you can select the wavelength of the monochromatic light.
- Half-width: Bandwidth of the monochromatic light
- Optical output: Optical fiber you want to use at the output. If you are not sure how your output should look like, leave this field blank
- Optical Power: The approximate optical power in microwatts per nanometer you need at the output. You can also leave this field blank
Specification of your tunable light source:
The 5 most important specifications when buying a tunable light source:
A tunable light source should reliably deliver light of a wavelength and bandwidth that can be adjusted by the user. For integration into an optical system or a test setup, multimode fibers or liquid light guides are the means of choice.
1. Wavelength range
Typically, the necessary wavelength range is identified first. A tunable light source usually consists of a broadband light source and a monochromator. The broadband light source must cover the entire wavelength range. For applications that require moderate light output in the wavelength range of 340 to 2000nm, a halogen light source is the best choice. If significantly more light is required and also light in the deep UV from 190nm, a laser-pumped plasma light source can be the right choice. For applications that only require visible light, an LED white light source is also conceivable. The monochromator must be suitable for the selected wavelength range and have good efficiency. This is where choosing the right optical gratings plays an important role.
2. Bandwidth
Monochromatic light always has a certain bandwidth (FWHM). Light is emitted around the selected wavelength in the range of the bandwidth (see figure on the left). When choosing the bandwidth, a good compromise must be found between light output and narrow bandwidth or resolution. As the bandwidth becomes smaller and thus higher resolution for a measurement, the light output also becomes smaller. The bandwidth is determined by the following components:
Focal length of the collimators: The larger the focal length, the smaller the bandwidth. However, a long focal length with a constant diameter also leads to a smaller aperture angle of the light that the device can transport.
Width of the input and output gap: The smaller the gap width, the smaller the bandwidth, but also the light output.
Number of lines of the optical grating: A grating with a larger number of lines per millimeter results in a narrower bandwidth.
3. Efficiency and performance
The throughput of a monochromator is determined by its F-number. It should be as low as possible. If you want to work with optical fibers, then a F-number less than 2.7 makes sense in order to make good use of the numerical aperture of 0.22. The optical mirrors used for collimation must have good imaging properties and high reflectivity for the selected wavelength range. High-end monochromators use off-axis parabolic mirrors. A UV-enhanced aluminum coating can cover the wavelength range from 200 to 5000nm. In addition, the choice of optical grating is important. The efficiency of the grating should be optimally adapted to the desired wavelength range.
For a tunable light source, a light source with high luminance is a great advantage. Given the luminance and bandwidth, the output power of a tunable light source can only be achieved by increasing the size of the optical components. In particular, the optical gratings are only available up to a diameter of 50mm at an acceptable cost. This makes laser-driven plasma light sources the first choice for high-performance, tunable light sources.
The Monochromator-H: Efficiently tunable light source based on a 20 watt halogen lamp
Monochromator-H in scanning mode
4. Control, scan speed, reproducibility
The wavelength of the tunable light source should be adjustable via a PC/USB. An important performance parameter is the speed at which one wavelength can be switched from one wavelength to the next. Depending on how big the difference between the start and end wavelength is, values of 10 to 20ms can be achieved with a monochromator. For reproducibility of the wavelength with multiple changes, 0.1nm is realistic.
5. Integration
For easy integration, fiber-coupled light sources are optimal. The tunable light source can be placed in a convenient location and the monochromatic light can be brought to where you need it with an optical fiber.
As a rule, a tunable light source is integrated into an automated process. Uncomplicated integration into the existing software environment can make a significant contribution to saving time.
Monochromator GUI
A shining example: Application that uses our tunable light sources
Application Note: Hyperspectral Microscopy
In this application note we demonstrate a hyperspectral microscope by combining some of our products.
These products complement our tunable light sources:
Fiber coupler for the XWS-30 from ISTEQ
- Coupling the XWS-30 into a multimode fiber
- Off-axis ellipsoidal mirror
- Almost loss-free plasma transmission
LS-BB1 broadband LED light source
- For spectroscopy
- Extremely high luminance through a single LED chip
- Wavelength range 400 – 1000 nm
Homogenizer low-loss and broadband homogenization
- Broadband, low-loss homogenization
- Deviations of only ± 2 %
- Any field sizes
Light for industry and research:
Your light source for industry
- Fiber-coupled point light sources with high luminance
- Easily integrated into existing installations
- Individual solutions for your project
Your light sources for research
- Easy integration into experiment set-ups
- Laser-pumped and LED light sources
- Wide spectra and high luminances
- Led light source for microscope
