In-Loco Optical Spectroscopy through a Multiple Digital Lock-In on a Linear Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Array

Abstract

Accurate and reliable measurements of optical properties are crucial for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. However, external illumination fluctuations can often make these measurements challenging to obtain. This work proposes a new technique based on digital lock-in processing that enables the use of CCD spectrometers in optical spectroscopy applications, even in uncontrolled lighting conditions. This approach leverages digital lock-in processing, performed on each pixel of the spectrometer’s CCD simultaneously, to mitigate the impact of external optical interferences. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by testing and recovering the spectrum of a yellow LED subjected to other light sources in outdoor conditions, corresponding to a Signal-to-Noise Ratio of −70.45 dB. Additionally, it was possible to demonstrate the method’s applicability for the spectroscopic analysis of gold nanoparticles in outdoor conditions. These results suggest that the proposed technique can be helpful for a wide range of optical measurement techniques, even in challenging lighting conditions.