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Spectrographs for UV, NIR & SWIR

Andor’s range of highly versatile spectrographs provide high resolution, high throughput, high modularity, ease of use from the UV to the NIR and SWIR, from macro- to nano-scale, with fluxes down to single photon and time-resolution down to nanosecond. Andor’s spectrograph technology is based on Czerny-Turner, Echelle or Transmission optical designs.

Spectrograph features include:

  • High modularity
  • Intelligent motorisation
  • TruRes™ – Highest spectral resolution
  • Adaptive FocusTM technology (patented)
  • Ideal for both or Physical and Life science
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Czerny-Turner, Echelle & Transmission Optical Spectrographs

Andor’s spectrograph family is based on Czerny-Turner, Echelle or Transmission optical designs, and offers a range of highly configurable or highly specialised platforms to best suit your experimental requirements.

Kymera 193i

  • 193 mm focal length
  • F/3.6 aperture
  • Adaptive Focus (Patented)
  • Dual detector outputs

Specifications Request Pricing

Kymera 328i

  • 328 mm focal length
  • F/4.1 aperture
  • Adaptive Focus (Patented)
  • Dual inputs and outputs
Specifications Request Pricing

Shamrock 163

  • 163 mm focal length
  • F/3.6 aperture
  • Compact form factor
  • Field adjustable gratings
Specifications Request Pricing

Shamrock 500i

  • 500 mm focal length
  • F/6.5 aperture
  • Resolution down to 0.03 nm
  • Dual inputs and outputs
Specifications Request Pricing

Shamrock 750

  • 750 mm focal length
  • F/9.7 aperture
  • Resolution down to 0.02 nm
  • Dual inputs and outputs
Specifications Request Pricing

Mechelle 5000

  • Large simultaneous bandpass
  • Resolution power up to 6,000
  • Low crosstalk patented optical design
  • Built-in temperature correction
Specifications Request Pricing

Need help selecting the right spectrograph?

Select from the options below to find the Spectrograph platform that best meets your needs.

 

Spectral Resolution

 

Throughput

 

Simultaneous bandpass

Spectroscopy Techniques and Applications

Raman

Raman is a molecular spectroscopy technique that can provides chemical and structural fingerprint information for a wide range of samples, including for example nanomaterials, polymers, powders, liquids or cells/tissues. Key Raman techniques include:

  • Spontaneous and stimulated
  • Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
  • Surface Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS)
  • Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS)
  • Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS)

Further Reading
Technical note: Introduction to Raman Spectroscopy
App Note: Diagnosis of skin tumors during micrographic surgery
App Note: Probing Molecular Structure with Raman Spectroscopy

Luminescence

Luminescence spectroscopy is used for a large variety of applications including for example the study of metal complexes, organic LEDs (OLEDs), quantum dots, cell dynamics, stand-off detection of chemical compounds (e.g. explosives) or scintillators properties measurement. Key techniques include:

  • Fluorescence
  • Photoluminescence
  • Cathodoluminescence
  • Chemiluminescence

Further Reading
App Note: Determination of Fluorescence Lifetimes using TRLFS
App Note: Characterization of Single Quantum Wires 
App Note: Magneto-Photoluminence in Si Nanocrystals

Absorption / Transmission / Reflection

Ultraviolet Visible Near-Infra red (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy is useful to characterise the absorption, transmission, and reflectivity of a variety of materials such as pigments, biological, coatings, windows, filters, or analyse the dynamics of chemical reactions. Variations of these spectroscopy techniques include:

  • Transient absorption (pump/probe)
  • Diffuse Reflectance

Further Reading
App Note: Spectral Response of Glucose

OES and LIBS

Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) is a fundamental, non-invasive diagnostic technique for a wide range of plasma, and can provide information such as composition and species temperature and energy distribution.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to determine the elemental composition of various solids, liquids and gases. A high power laser pulse is focused on to a sample to create a plasma. Emission from the atoms and ions in the plasma is collected and analysed by a spectrograph and gated detector to determine the elemental composition or the elemental concentrations in the sample.

Further Reading
Case Study: Automated 2D elemental mapping by LIBS
Case Study: Stand-off LIBS
Webinar: Basic Principles of LIBS

Microspectroscopy

Micro-spectroscopy covers a very wide range of spectroscopy modalities with the common character that the spectroscopic measurement is made on the microscopic scale. Andor spectroscopy systems are routinely used for Raman-based techniques including:

  • Micro- Raman and Fluorescence/Photoluminescence
  • Diffuse Scattering micro-spectroscopy
  • Multiphoton micro-spectroscopy

Further Reading
Tech Note: Modular Solutions for Micro-Spectroscopy
App Note: Micro-Spectroscopy as a Diagnostic Aid to Skin Cancers

Non-Linear Spectroscopy

Non-linear (NL) spectroscopy encompasses a number of optical techniques that can be used to study for example interfacial and surface processes, ultrafast dynamic processes (pump-probe technique), light transport or assist in the understanding of nanoparticles/nanostructures unique optical properties. Key techniques include:

  • Second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy
  • Sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy
  • Pump-probe transient absorption
  • Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS)

Further Reading
App Note: Spectral Characterization of Quantum Light
App Note: Nearfield Spectroscopy of a ZnO Thin Film

Material Science

Optical spectroscopy can provide analytical information on materials from the micro to the nano-scale, through a number of techniques with a large range of sensitivity, resolution and flexibility requirements. Examples include:

  • Quantum dots
  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Nanowires
  • Organic LEDs (OLEDs)
  • Thin films
  • Scintillators
  • Powder/explosives

Further Reading
App Note: Chemical Analysis of Nanostructures by TERS
App Note: Nearfield Spectroscopy of a ZnO Thin Film

Chemical Processes

Optical spectroscopy can be used to non-invasively study the changes in the composition of chemical(s) or material(s).

Chemical reaction products or transient behaviours can be probed by Andor Spectroscopy systems through a variety of techniques based on Raman, transient absorption / pump-probe or fluorescence.

Further Reading
App Note: Quantitative Monitoring of Biphasic Reactions 
App Note: Reaction Monitoring using UV-Resonance Raman
App Note: Reaction monitoring using SWIR Raman Spectroscopy

Life Science - Biomedical

Optical spectroscopy can provide very specific analytical information in a non-invasive matter for a range of bio-samples, often as a complement to microscopy imaging (micro-spectroscopy) or visual inspection.

Field of applications include for example cancer cell in vivo and ex vivo screening and cancer diagnostics, non-invasive monitoring of patient bio-parameters or cell sorting.

Further Reading
App Note: Identification of Lung Cancers
App Note: Diagnosis of skin tumors during micrographic surgery
App Note: Optical Spectroscopy for non-invasive disease diagnostics

Plasma Studies

Plasmas can be artificially produced by different means (e.g. laser ablation, coupling of capacitive / inductive power source to ionised gas). The understanding of their properties and dynamics is relevant to a number fields such as fusion, thin films deposition, micro-electronics, material characterization, display systems, surface treatment, fundamental physics, environmental & health.

Gated detectors can be used to determine optical parameters from which fundamental plasma properties can be derived. Accurate nanosecond-scale gating of image intensifier-based detectors can be used to sample plasma dynamics, or to isolate the useful plasma information generated by pulsed lasers.

Further Reading
App Note: PLIF as a Plasma Diagnostic
App Note: Broadband Cavity-enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy
App Note: Thomson Scattering

Spectrograph Accessories

Adaptable to large range of setups, high configurability, in-field upgradeable

Light coupling input/outputs
  • Fibre-optics, X-Y adjustable couplers and F/# matcher
  • Sample chamber
  • Motorised & manual slits
  • Filter wheels
Specifications
Micro-Spectroscopy Coupling
  • Direct/indirect spectrograph-microscope coupling
  • Modular cage system configurations
  • µ-Manager software control
Specifications

Detectors and Cameras for Spectroscopy

High sensitivity, high speed, high dynamic range detection from the UV to the NIR and SWIR.

iDus CCD

High sensitivity, deep-TE cooled platform for UV-VIS-NIR-SWIR & Raman spectroscopy.

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IDus InGaAs

High sensitivity, deep-TE cooled platform that is suitable for SWIR spectroscopy.

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Newton EM/CCD

High speed and high sensitivity platform for fast transient studies or chemical mapping.

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iStar CCD & sCMOS

Ns gated platform for highest time-resolution and accuracy, ideal for plasma dynamics & LIBS.

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Marana & Zyla sCMOS

Ultrafast and high dynamic range platform for dynamic phenomena by fluorescence or absorption.

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iXon EMCCD

Ultrafast and high dynamic range platform for dynamic phenomena by fluorescence or absorption.

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Spectroscopy Software Solutions

Spectroscopy software on monitors

Solis Acquisition Software - A 32-bit and fully 64-bit enabled application for Windows (8, 8.1 and 10) offering rich functionality for data acquisition and processing, as well as Andor cameras, spectrograph and motorized accessories simultaneous control.

Find out more

Software Development Kit - A SDK that allows you to control the Andor range of spectrographs from your own application. Compatible as 32-bit and 64-bit libraries for Windows (8, 8.1 and 10). Compatible with C/C++, C#, VB.NET and LabVIEW for Windows/Linux.

Find out more

µ-Manager for Micro-spectroscopy - Integrated modular micro-spectroscopy setup control popular with the Life Science community. All market leading motorized microscope and accessories seamlessly controlled and maintained. Integrated sequence builder & macro interfaces for complex experiments building.

Find out more Download plug-in

Spectroscopy Resources

Spectroscopy Brochure

View spectroscopy solutions from Andor

View Brochure
NIR/SWIR Spectroscopy Brochure

View selected application notes

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Customer Publications 

Author Title  Year
Michael W. Mara et al Unveiling ultrafast dynamics in bridged bimetallic complexes using optical and X-ray transient absorption spectroscopies 2022
Shixiang Ma et al Molecular laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique for the detection of nitrogen in waters 2022
V. Laurindo et al Spin-dependent analysis of homogeneous and inhomogeneous exciton decoherence in magnetic fields 2022
Alessandro Nardecchia et al Data fusion of LIBS and PIL hyperspectral imaging: Understanding the luminescence phenomenon of a complex mineral sample 2022
Jun-HoYang et al Accurate real-time monitoring of fine dust using a densely connected convolutional networks with measured plasma emissions 2022
Kazimieras Nomeika et al Impact of carrier diffusion on the internal quantum efficiency of InGaN quantum well structures 2022
Jiayin Li et al Temporal gas temperature of atmospheric pressure air plasma 2022
Marcin Pastorczak et al First events in the coil-to-globule transition of PVME in water: An ultrafast temperature jump – time-resolved elastic light scattering study 2022
L. Marciniak et al Highly sensitive luminescence nanothermometry and thermal imaging facilitated by phase transition 2022
Anderson A.G.Santiago et al Enhanced photocatalytic activity of CaMoO4/g-C3N4 composites obtained via sonochemistry synthesis 2022
S. Sankararaman et al Unwrapping the compositional mystery of Eumeninae nest: A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic study 2022
D.S.Vogt et al Spatiotemporal characterization of the laser-induced plasma plume in simulated Martian conditions 2022
Guangpeng Zhu et al Highly Polarized Light Emission of Monolayer WSe2 Coupled with Gap‐Plasmon Nanocavity 2022
Guodong Zhou et al Reconstruction and calibration methods for a Mueller channeled spectropolarimeter 2022
Dana Glikman et al pH effects on the molecular structure and charging state of β-Escin biosurfactants at the air-water interface 2022
Nikolina Kalčec et al Spectroscopic study of L-DOPA and dopamine binding on novel gold nanoparticles towards more efficient drug-delivery system for Parkinson’s disease 2022
Hong Zhang et al A universal co-solvent dilution strategy enables facile and cost-effective fabrication of perovskite photovoltaics 2022
Zhen Qiao et al Cellular Features Revealed by Transverse Laser Modes in Frequency Domain 2022
Bogdan-OvidiuTaranu et al New functional hybrid materials based on clay minerals for enhanced electrocatalytic activity 2022
Gabriele Selvaggio NIR-emitting benzene-fused oligo-BODIPYs for bioimaging 2022