Fourier transform spectroscopy is a measurement technique whereby spectra are collected

based on measurements of the coherence of a radiative source, using time-domain or spacedomain measurements of the electromagnetic radiation or other type of radiation. It can be
applied to a variety of types of spectroscopy including optical spectroscopy, infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR, FT-NIRS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance
spectroscopic imaging (MRSI),[1] mass spectrometry and electron spin resonance
spectroscopy. There are several methods for measuring the temporal coherence of the light
(see: field-autocorrelation), including the continuous wave Michelson or Fourier transform
spectrometer and the pulsed Fourier transform spectrograph (which is more sensitive and has
a much shorter sampling time than conventional spectroscopic techniques, but is only
applicable in a laboratory environment).
The term Fourier transform spectroscopy reflects the fact that in all these techniques, a
Fourier transform is required to turn the raw data into the actual spectrum, and in many of the
cases in optics involving interferometers, is based on the WienerKhinchin theorem.
Interferometers. An interferometer provides an alternative approach for wavelength
selection. Instead of ltering or dispersing the electromagnetic radiation, an
interferometer allows source radiation of all wavelengths to reach the detector
simultaneously (Figure 10.13). Radiation from the source is focused on a beam splitter
that reects half of the radiation to a xed mirror and transmits the other half to a
movable mirror. The radiation recombines at the beam splitter, where constructive and
destructive interference determines, for each wavelength, the intensity of light reaching
the detector. As the moving mirror changes position, the wavelengths of light
experiencing maximum constructive interference and maximum destructive
interference also changes. The signal at the detector shows intensity as a function of the
moving mirrors position, expressed in units of distance or time. The result is called an
interferogram, or a time domain spectrum. The time domain spectrum is converted
mathematically, by a process called a Fourier transform, to a spectrum (also called a
frequency domain spectrum) showing intensity as a function of the radiations energy.

In comparison to a monochromator, an interferometer has two signicant advantages.

The rst advantage, which is termed jacquinots advantage, is the higher throughput
of source radiation. Because an interferometer does not use slits and has fewer optical
components from which radiation can be scattered and lost, the throughput of
radiation reaching the detector is 80200 times greater than that for a monochromator.
The result is less noise.

The second advantage, which is called fellgetts advantage, is a savings in the time
needed to obtain a spectrum. Because the detector monitors all frequencies
simultaneously, an entire spectrum takes approximately one second to record, as
compared to 1015 minutes with a scanning monochromator.

Fourier transform spectrometer. In a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, or FTIR, the

monochromator is replaced with an interferometer (Figure 10.13). Because an FT-IR includes
only a single optical path, it is necessary to collect a separate spectrum to compensate for the
absorbance of atmospheric CO2 and H2O vapor. This is done by collecting a background
spectrum without the sample and storing the result in the instruments computer memory. The
background spectrum is removed from the samples spectrum by ratioing the two signals. In
comparison to other instrument designs, an FTIR provides for rapid data acquisition,
allowing an enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio through signal-averaging.
Coherence describes all properties of the correlation between physical quantities of a single
wave, or between several waves or wave packets.
Interference is nothing more than the mathematical addition of wave functions. A single wave
can interfere with itself, but this is still an addition of two waves (see Young's slits
experiment). Constructive or destructive interferences are limit cases, and two waves always
interfere, even if the result of the addition is complicated or not remarkable.
When interfering, two waves can add together to create a wave of greater amplitude than
either one (constructive interference) or subtract from each other to create a wave of lesser
amplitude than either one (destructive interference), depending on their relative phase. Two
waves are said to be coherent if they have a constant relative phase. The amount of coherence
can readily be measured by the interference visibility, which looks at the size of the
interference fringes relative to the input waves (as the phase offset is varied); a precise
mathematical definition of the degree of coherence is given by means of correlation
functions.