This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is in the general area of spectrometry in the subfield of chemical instrumentation. Recent years have seen significant advances in light detection technology and computer processing power. Very sensitive two-dimensional array detectors, e.g. CCD arrays, and fast computers capable of processing vast quantities of near real-time data are available at moderate cost. The missing building block in the design and development of a spectrometer that can take advantage of these technologies is an optical system capable of two dimensional imaging of high quality, particularly in a compact short focal-length configuration. Chromex has developed a method of producing high quality aspheric optics, the essential optical components for stigmatic imaging capability. This technology will be applied in the investigation of a full-spectrum multiple-input stigmatic- imaging spectrograph design. The spectrograph will be small (100mm focal length) and extremely rugged. Fiber optic interfaces will be investigated that will allow up to eight simultaneous inputs. The Phase I research established that the concept is feasible. Further, the Phase I results showed that an imaging spectrograph of this concept can be expected to provide a significant gain in signal-to-noise over conventional designs. The research in this Phase II project will result in a spectrograph with unprecedented capabilities. This research will result in the development of a spectrometer with capabilities that are not currently available. The ability to measure spectra from multiple in-situ sources will provide an instrument useful in remote applications employing multiple sensors such as process and combustion monitoring.
