The same method has been implemented to effectively mimic a quadruple monochromator where light is passed through the light disperser four times, resulting in even better resolution and less stray light. 6, 7, 9 If the light is dispersed twice, similar to passing light through a monochromator twice, then it behaves just like a double monochromator. 7 – 9 Concisely, the monochromator is constructed such that the light is reflected back to the light disperser using a pair of mirrors at right angles to each other before reaching the detector. 3Ī regular single monochromator can be modified into a double 6 or multiple monochromator. Stray light is problematic when measuring very high absorbance values or very faint fluorescence emissions from samples as a large portion of the light reaching the detector will be stray light. Some stray light will always be expected and may originate from undesired diffraction or scattering of light inside the monochromator or from the environment if the optical device is not completely sealed. When light hits the grating, the angle at which it is diffracted is determined by its wavelength, allowing light of specific wavelengths to be selected and directed for downstream applications. Diffraction gratings typically consist of glass or metal on which there are a series of regularly spaced parallel slits, ridges or rulings. 3Ī diffraction grating is a component that breaks light of many wavelengths, such as white light, into multiple beams according to their wavelength. The light leaving the first monochromator feeds into the second monochromator to help remove light with undesirable wavelengths, often called stray light. Using a double monochromator arrangement improves resolution, 6 - 8 but results in a weaker light intensity arriving at the detector. A double monochromator setup is often used in higher quality spectrophotometers where two monochromators are operating in tandem, arranged in series (Figure 2A). However, having multiple monochromators in one instrument is becoming more prevalent to achieve more accurate high absorbance measurements. Optical instruments that are designed to make absorbance measurements in colorimetric analyses commonly have a single monochromator. 3įigure 1: A schematic diagram of a Czerny-Turner monochromator indicating the component parts and the path of the light from the light source through to detection. Rotating the grating (Figure 1D) controls the range of light wavelengths that will then subsequently pass to the CCD detector (Figure 1F). The light then reaches a second concave mirror that focuses different wavelengths of light at different points (Figure 1E). The parallel light rays then reach a diffraction grating, which then bends different wavelengths of light at different angles (Figure 1D). Light rays enter the monochromator's entrance slit (Figure 1B) and travel to the first concave mirror (Figure 1C), which aligns the rays so they are traveling in parallel. In a Czerny‑Turner arrangement, there are two concave mirrors and a diffraction grating. There are different ways to implement the setup, which are beyond the scope of this article, but here we will focus on the most common form, known as a Czerny‑Turner arrangement (Figure 1). 3 In a monochromator, the incoming light rays are usually collimated using mirrors, dispersed and aimed towards the detector. When light rays travel in a parallel direction, it is often called collimated light, and when they are in this form, the rays can be controlled.
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