Engineering challenges in scientific instruments
Scientific instruments are among the most demanding applications of precision optics. A spectrometer must resolve spectral lines a fraction of a nanometer apart. A confocal microscope must resolve subcellular structures below the diffraction limit. An interferometer must measure displacements smaller than the wavelength of light. None of these parameters is achievable without a thorough optical design and multi-stage quality analysis.
OSLO is the tool that scientific-instrument designers have reached for over four decades. Aberration, MTF, and PSF analysis, tolerancing, and multi-configuration system design — including Cassegrain telescopes, echelle spectrographs, and fluorescence microscopes — are everyday work for this software.
TracePro, in turn, handles those parts of an instrument where light-flux propagation matters — collectors, condensers, illumination systems, and stray light analyzers in space and analytical instruments.
How does our software support design?
| Product | Role in this area |
|---|---|
 | Spectrometers, microscopes, interferometers — aberration, MTF, and PSF analysis, tolerancing |
 | Illumination systems, stray light analysis, collectors and condensers, astrophysical instruments |
 | Nanoscopy simulation — STED, TIRF, SNOM, structures for super-resolution microscopy |
 | Diffraction gratings in spectrometers and monochromators |
a compact fiber-optic spectrometer for raw-material quality control
Design assumptions
The goal was to design a small, fiber-fed grating spectrometer for fast, non-destructive quality control of food and pharmaceutical raw materials in production conditions. The system had to operate in the 450–850 nm range and fit within a housing a few centimeters in size, so it could be integrated into a measurement line.
Fiber coupling and sample module
Light from a broadband source was delivered to a coupling block through a flexible fiber, and the radiation reflected from the sample was directed through a second fiber segment to the analysis section. This architecture allowed the illumination module to be physically separated from the detector, simplifying the mechanical integration of the whole sensor.
Diffraction grating selection
The simulation was used to select a diffraction grating with a groove density providing an appropriate compromise between spectral resolution and the recorded bandwidth. The internal geometry of the spectrometer, including the angles of incidence on the grating, was optimized to minimize aberrations while keeping the housing compact.
Spectrum and background-noise analysis
A non-sequential ray-tracing simulation revealed unwanted reflections inside the housing, introducing noise into the recorded spectrum. Adding baffles and absorptive surfaces on the internal walls reduced stray light and improved the signal-to-noise ratio in the analyzed spectral window.
Finished design
The verified model, with confirmed spectral resolution and limited background-noise level, was handed off for prototype construction, reducing the number of costly physical iterations before sensor production began.
Frequently asked questions
Scientific instruments
Is TracePro suitable for designing spectrometers with a diffraction grating?
Yes. Thanks to non-sequential ray tracing, TracePro models the full optical path of a spectrometer, from the broadband source through the diffraction grating to the detector, including multiple reflections, scattering, and light absorption in the housing.
Does TracePro help reduce stray light in a spectrometer?
Yes. The stray light analyzer identifies unwanted reflections and light paths inside the housing, and the simulation lets you select baffles, absorptive coatings, and geometry to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. This is one of TracePro's flagship applications, used, among other things, in the stray light analysis of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Can TracePro be combined with OSLO for a spectrometer project?
Yes. OSLO designs and optimizes the imaging optics, minimizing lens aberrations, while TracePro analyzes the whole system at the system level: propagation, scattering, and stray light. Lambda Research promotes exactly this division of roles for grating spectrometers and hyperspectral systems.
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