CAC Ee A OUT OEM ay ed Oy eer RSI Oo een nee gey TE ead nc CE ORe Rees See cy Cea ey eer cal ae aie eat rey aSORIEL INSTRUMENTS HISTORY Diffraction gratings are used to disperse light; that isto spatally separate ight of diferent wavelengths. They have feplaced prams in most elds of spectal analysis. “The manuiacture of diffraction gratings dates back to the late 18th century. Extensive use was limited by the siffcities in ruling gratings of adequate quality untl Henry Rowiand bult rung engines In the later part of the 181K Century. Subsequent production of high quaity gratings led to significant avances in analytical spectioscopy. Today, most diftaction gratings are replicated from masters, Masters can be ruled with Intetrometric contr, generated holographically with possible enhancement through fon etching, or made with newer techniques derived trom semiconductor lithography, GRATING PHYSICS ‘THE GRATING EQUATION A typical diffraction grating consists of a substrate, usually of an “optical material”, with large number of parallel grooves ruled or replicated in its surface and overcoated With a reflecting material such as aluminum, The quality and Spacing of the grooves are crucial to the performance of the grating, but the basic grating equation may be derived by Supposing a section through the grating surface, normal to the ruling direction as a sawtooth pattem, shown below. sussTRATE rare / NORMAL Fig. 1 The sawlooth pattern ofa grating section Light rays A and B, of wavelength 2, incident on adjacent grooves at angle | to the grating normal are shown. Consider light at angle D to the grating normal: this light originates from the A and B rays as they strike the grating. The path difference between the A! and B’ rays can be seen to be: asini+asinD ‘Summing of the rays A’ and 8! results in con-structive interference if the path difference is equal to any integer ‘multiple of the wavelength i: a(sin I+ sin 0) = ma Where: 'm = an integer, and is the order of ciffraction ‘This is the basic grating equation Note that if D is on the opposite side of the grating ‘normal from |, itis of the opposite sign. We have considered only two grooves. Ineluding all the other grooves does not change the basic equation but sharpens the peak in the plot of diffracted intensity against angle D. ‘THE GRATING EQUATION IN PRACTICE When a parallel beam of monochromatic light is ince | fon a grating, the light is diffracted from the grating | directions corresponding to m =-2, -1. 0, 1, 2,3, ale. The is shown below, and discussed further under “Grating Order" on the following page. MoNocHRoMATiC ‘Seat | 4H j Fig. 2 The’ rang Euan” elo Toro paral bean a Inonoshronati ight, | When a parallel beam of polychromatie light is incident | on a grating then tho light Is dpersed 80 that sack | wavelonghsalsties the gfatng equation This shown | Fig. 3. 1 | _a- WHITE LIGHT “SHORTEST WAVELENGTH TRANSMITTED. CBD. ‘ma FORMOST SYSTENS) \_ SX netesnc means ag, 300m, et ORDER me so 101m. ORDER hens oven an umes w Shoat wave curoer mutea TSINGERTED IN BEAN Fig. 3 Polychromatic ight diffracted from a gr orders have beon omitted for clarity, In most monochromators, the input slit and collimating mirror fix the direction of the input beam which strikes the grating. The focusing mirror and exit slit fix the output direction. Only wavelengths which satisfy the grating equation pass through the exit sll. The remainder of the light is scattered and absorbed inside the monochromator. As the grating is rotated, the angles | and D change, although the difference between them remains constant and is fixed by the geometry of the monochromator. ‘A more convenient form of the grating equation for use ‘with monochromators i: Mh=2xa xcos@xsin® Where: ‘9 = Half the included angle between the incident ray and the difracted ray a the grating. (= Grating angle relative to the zero order Position, These terms are related to the incident angle | and diffracted angle D by: 8+ oand D Contact us for further information on any of the products in this catalog_— Sparin JOER aa ont tne the sign of “Is gven by either ei". tating equation and can be positive oF jim et noneohromate, the angles (and Dare the rotational position of the grating. We use cention that all angles which are counter m the grating normal are positive, and all re clockwise to the grating are negative Seige Incident light, difracted light and grating Sesion © >2 at postive or negative angles depending on ihe grating normal they are. The half angle is nich si says re ed a8 positive, iFthe = Dis equal to | and of opposite sign. then the gaiing © © and order are zero, and the light is simply Being ro! vied. If the grating angle is positive then the Grooris >» se (met), if the grating angle is negative, then fhe orde gate (Mm = -1). Table 1 Iss the haif angles andthe © ©: the orders passed by our monochromators. “The gig equation is also satisfied for wavelenaths in hngher ov0"s. vihen |m] is >4, Therefore he = Av/2 for m = 12 ky =) form = 8, ete. The wavelength he is in the second ind fe i8 in the third order, etc. Again, this concept histrated in Fig. 3. Usuc “nly the first order, positive or negative, is desired. © ciher wavelengths in higher orders may need fobe be 4. The input spectrum and detector sensitivity determi. ether order sorting or blocking filters are needed i i se yl wage or —\ a Searing ~~ acoeerance evan Ge WONOCHCMATOR Fig.4 sign convention for the angie of incidence, angle of setlon and grating angl BLAZE WAVELENGTH i monochromatic light strikes a grating then a fraction of itis aiffracted into each order. The fraction diffracted into any order can be termed the efficiency of the grating in that Corder. All Oriel Gratings are designed for efficient diffraction into the first order. Gratings are not equally “efficient” at all wavelengths for a variety of detailed reasons. The efficiency can be “tuned” by changing the groove facet angles, or shape and depth. The optimization of efficiency by appropriate groove shaping has become known as blazing The “Blaze Wavelength’ is the wavelength for which the ‘grating is most efficient. Fig. 5 shows a typical efficiency vs. wavelength curve for a tuled and a blazed holographic grating, HOLOGRAPHIC, 280m BLAZE EFFICIENCY (WAVELENGTH fom) Fig. 5 The efficiency of a ruled and a biazed holographic ~grating, both have 1200 limm. HOLOGRAPHIC GRATINGS Holographic gratings are created using a sinusoidal interferometric pattern and sometimes an etching process, Sinusoidally grooved gratings produce very lle scattered light but have low, fat efficiency curves, although they are generally quite broad. Blazed holographic gratings use etching during the interferometric process, or an ion gun to form a blaze angie in a secondary process. The forrner does not produce strong blazing, and while the latter, produces high efficiencies at the blaze wavelengths, light scalter is increased due to the formation of micro structure along the edges of the grooves. Oriel offers both ruled and holographic gratings to provide the best combination of blaze, efficiency, and low light scatter tor different, wavelength ranges ‘Table 1 Half Angles and Orders for Oriel Monochromators ‘Monochromator Halt Angie | Model No (egress) Onder I pg Rad moo | 25 | osine | reo wor | Negate | | 77700 | a193 | Postive | Hoos 3 Pestne | | rao | ate | Postne | Photolithography Light Sources Lasers Det CA § st “ & Instruments Detection Equipmem Fiber Optics + a