Fourier-transform spectrophotometer for time-resolved emission measurements using a 100-point transient digitizer

An infrared time-resolved Fourier-transform emission spectrophotometer has been constructed and its use has been demonstrated. The instrument is based on a commercial interferometer combined with a CAMAC-based data acquisition system. The use of a transient digitizer permits acquisition of a single interferogram point at 100 time intervals following a single photoexcitation. The instrument operates in the ‘‘smooth scan’’ mode. The combination of this mode of operation with the use of a transient digitizer provides great time efficiency for data acquisition because there is no mirror settling time at each optical retardation. Complete interferograms free from the artifacts associated with assembly of interferograms arising from multiple scans are available after each mirror scan. The maximum resolution of the present instrument is 0.1 cm−1, limited only by data storage considerations; the maximum resolution of the commercial interferometer is 0.02 cm−1 (with apodization) and could be utilized with long scans. The shortest time that can be resolved by the instrument, currently ∼1–2 μs, is limited only by the infrared detector/preamplifier combination. The longest time interval which is permitted between successive photochemical or photophysical events (nominally 3.16 ms) is limited by the slowest scan velocity of the moving mirror, (0.01 cm/s). Usable data can be acquired from 10 to 50 mirror scans, where acquisition, storage, and coaddition of a single 1 cm−1 resolution scan takes ∼5 min.