Compact freeform-surface-based Offner imaging spectrometer with both a long-slit and broadband

Abstract

Current imaging spectrometers with conventional optical elements face major challenges in achieving a large field of view (FOV), broadband and compact structure simultaneously. In this paper, a compact freeform-surface-based Offner imaging spectrometer with both a long-slit and a broadband (CISLS) is proposed. To keep a long slit and an anastigmatic imaging, the slit off-axis amount of the initial system is within a specific range theoretically. While to achieve a compact structure, the slit off-axis amount should be away from the specific range and as small as possible. Based on the vector aberration theory and the analytical study, Zernike polynomial terms Z5 and Z6 introduce the astigmatism independent of FOV. They are utilized to well balance the astigmatism when the slit off-axis amount is away from the specific range, helping a miniaturization of the system. Other Zernike polynomial terms below the eighth order introduce the astigmatism related to FOV. They contribute to balancing the astigmatism that produced with the increasing of the FOV, thus achieving a wide FOV. The design results show that the proposed CISLS with a high spectral resolution of 2.7 nm achieves a long slit of 30 mm in length but a small size of only 60 mm × 64 mm × 90 mm in volume under a broadband from 400 nm to 1000 nm.