Optimum Instrumental Resolution in Condensed Phase Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

The optimum instrumental resolution is defined in the case where the instrumental profile width is smaller than the spectral band width. The formulae for the optimum condition are derived as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio with the use of sinc, sinc1, triangular, and Gaussian shapes as instrumental functions. The results reveal the resolving power advantage of Fourier transform spectroscopy, which is emphasized and compared to grating spectroscopy.