The ZOOM Spectra spectrometer can be used over the entire 630–1070 nm range without hardware modifications. It characterizes and inspects laser diodes, tunable lasers, and VCSELs, delivering spectral resolution of 0.005 nm at 630 nm, absolute accuracy to 0.001 nm, and frame rates to 30 kframes/s. Single-shot bandwidth ranges from 5 to 14 nm.
Resolution Spectra Systems
Grenoble, France
www.resolutionspectra.com
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PRESS RELEASE
The ZOOM Spectra ultra-high resolution spectrometer fixes a number of unresolved issues
New technology and product to be presented at Laser World of Photonics Munich 213 at booth Hall B1 - 479/1
Grenoble, FRANCE
Resolution Spectra Systems (RES) is a new player in the field of high-performance spectroscopy, having recently launched its ZOOM Spectra ultra-high resolution spectrometer. The device was a finalist at the 2013 Prism Awards and will make its first appearance at Laser World of Photonics in Munich on 13-16 May 2013.
"The huge buzz the ZOOM Spectra has generated in the laser community demonstrates the product's immense potential. Month after month, by examining the requests of laser manufacturers, integrators and research labs, we are able to identify applications for which the ZOOM Spectra provides a unique solution," says Thierry Gonthiez, General Manager of Resolution.
The ZOOM Spectra spectrometer is unique in its ability to simultaneously offer an ultra-high spectral resolution (0.005 nm @630nm), high absolute accuracy (around 0.001 nm), a high frame rate (up to 30 kframes/s), very long-lasting factory calibration and a compact size (8x8x12 cm).
Main features of the ZOOM Spectra:
- High-Resolution Spectrometer / Multi-Wavelength Meter
- Vis-NIR: 630-1070 nm
- Ultra-high spectral resolution: 0.005 nm
- Absolute accuracy: 0.001 nm
- High frame rate: 30 kfps
- Single-shot bandwidth: 5-14 nm
Two major trends have emerged in spectroscopy: performance improvements to cater for the rapidly increasing number of new applications and the quest for greater simplicity and compactness to make spectroscopy more accessible. Our product has opened a third dimension by being both a high-performance solution and an integrated solution, not a compromise between the two.
In conventional spectroscopy, such a high spectral resolution can only be achieved by complex laboratory spectrometers, such as the Echelle spectrometer, the bulky Czerny-Turner device and monochromators. However, with these particular systems a high spectral resolution is only possible over a limited spectral range and the exploration of a different range requires adjustments to the overall setup, a new configuration or a different grating. Unlike these devices, the same ZOOM Spectra unit can be used over the entire 630-1070 nm range without hardware modifications. "It was genuinely exciting to discover the existence of a spectrometer with a resolution of just a few picometers in a package as simple and compact as the ZOOM Spectra. A few hours after receiving the product, we were able to monitor our dual-frequency laser for terahertz oscillator, something we originally imagined would be a long and costly process," relates Goulchen Loas, a researcher at the Institut Physique de Rennes.
The majority of existing Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSA) are based on scanning technologies that do not allow high-speed measurement. For the sake of comparison, a laser diode current-mapping process that takes half an hour with an OSA can be completed in less than 2 seconds by the ZOOM Spectra at 30 kframes/second. "Measurement speed becomes crucial when current or temperature mapping is required during the laser diode production process. This is one of the crucial economic advantages of the ZOOM Spectra and one that appeals greatly to laser manufacturers," points out Christophe Bonneville, President of RES.
Another instrument used in the laser field is the wavelength meter. Although many wavelength meters offer an absolute accuracy that is over-specified, such systems are unable to perform accurate measurements when dealing with a multimode laser. In such cases, the value produced is either an average of the modes detected or a completely erroneous result. The ZOOM Spectra overcomes this problem by being the first multimode wavelength meter available on the market. In other words, it is able to measure the absolute wavelength of several laser modes simultaneously and at high speed, with an accuracy of 0.001 nm. Moreover, the ZOOM Spectra is delivered with Spectra Resolver software, which combines advanced functions with a highly intuitive interface. "The ZOOM Spectra provides the two key pieces of information tunable-laser demanding users require: absolute wavelength and mode-hop-free tuning control. It can be used instead of both a wavelength meter and a Fabry-Perot," says Joachim Sacher, CEO of Sacher LaserTechnik.
To sum up, the ZOOM Spectra offers a number of unique capabilities:
- Absolute measurement of multiple wavelengths (unlike a simple wavelength meter)
- Ultra-high resolution (much higher than an OSA)
- High frame rate: fast mapping for control laser characterization / checking / screening
These are key functions for the characterization and inspection of laser diodes, tunable lasers and VCSELs.
The ZOOM Spectra is not simply a major technological step forward in the field of spectroscopy. It is the only real breakthrough in the field since the introduction of CCDs many years ago.
At its booth at Laser World of Photonics in Munich, RESOLUTION will also present the WIDE Spectra, the MULTI Spectra and another new product.
Laser World of Photonics - Munich
13-16 May 2013
Booth: Hall B1 - 479/1 (French Pavilion) - near the Ocean Optics booth
Technological background
The ZOOM Spectra is the first product to use SWIFTSTM technology, which represents a new approach to spectroscopy. It uses cutting-edge technologies such as imaging sensors, integrated optics and nanotechnologies in conjunction with specific algorithms, all integrated in a single component with no moving parts.
SWIFTSTM Technology is an internationally patented technology invented by scientists at the Joseph Fourier University and the Institut National Polytechnique, both in Grenoble, France. It is based on the Nobel Prize-winning discovery made by Gabriel Lippmann at the beginning of the 19th century, which allowed the first color photographs to be produced. SWIFTS stands for Stationary Wave Interferometer Fourier Transform Spectrometer.
The light reflected by a mirror produces standing waves. This phenomenon has been widely known for many years now. In 1892, Gabriel Lippmann (winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1902) developed the principle and used it to create a famous color photography process. Up until a few years ago, this process remained confined to photography, having yet to be incorporated into the world of photonics. In 2004, two French researchers believed it would be possible to bring Lippmann's ideas up to date by coupling sensing elements to the evanescent range of standing waves within a single-mode waveguide. This "detector" was indeed capable of statically detecting the Fourier transform of a wave's spectrum over a wide range of wavelengths and with no moving parts, all within a minimal space. The SWIFTS principle was born.
The prototype of the product was awarded the "Photon d'Or 2011" at OPTO 2011 (Paris, France) and the ZOOM Spectra was launched on the market in February 2012.
Soon after its launch, the ZOOM Spectra received the "1st Runner-Up Award / European Photonics Innovation 2012" at SPIE Photonics Europe (Brussels, 2012). The ZOOM Spectra was also a finalist at the 2013 Prism Awards in the Test, Measurement and Metrology category.
About Resolution Spectra Systems
Resolution Spectra Systems was set up in 2011 to develop an offer based on SWIFTS technology. The company is based in Grenoble, one of Europe's leading high-technology centers. Resolution Spectra Systems is looking to revolutionize the use of spectrometers in the future. A combination of high performance, simplicity and compactness will allow SWIFTS-based spectrometers to be employed in configurations that were impossible for previous generations of spectrometer, opening up the use of high-performance spectroscopy to mainstream applications and enabling its integration with new or existing technologies. Resolution Spectra Systems is developing and commercializing several off-the-shelf spectrometers and is focusing its R&D efforts on tailoring solutions to applications that require a high level of performance, compactness, portability or simplicity.
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