Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Instrument Calibration

Instrument Calibration

Instrument calibration is essential for ensuring that instruments produce accurate and consistent results. It is vital in manufacturing, healthcare, testing laboratories, and scientific research. Calibration processes are specific to each instrument and help enhance data accuracy. Each instrument has a unique calibration process tailored to its design and function to improve data accuracy.
Analytical Balance Calibration
An analytical balance measures mass and requires regular calibration to...

Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation

Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.

UV–Vis Spectrometers

UV–Vis Spectrometers

The absorbance of UV and visible (UV–visible) radiations is measured using a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Deuterium lamps, which emit UV radiation, and tungsten lamps, which produce radiation in the visible region, are used as light sources in UV–visible spectrophotometers. A monochromator or prism is used for diffraction grating, i.e., to split the incoming radiation into different wavelengths. A system of slits is used to focus the desired wavelength on the sample cell. Samples for...

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Instrumentation

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Instrumentation

An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) comprises several components: a radiation source, an atomizer, a monochromator, and a detector. The radiation source can be a hollow-cathode lamp (HCL) or an electrodeless-discharge lamp (EDL), both of which provide a narrow emission line of the required wavelength. However, some instruments use continuum sources and high-resolution monochromators to achieve a narrow range of radiation.
The atomizer used in AAS can be either a flame atomizer or an...

Spectrophotometry: Introduction

Spectrophotometry: Introduction

Spectrophotometry is the quantitative measurement of the absorption, reflection, diffraction, or transmission of electromagnetic radiation through a material as a function of the intensity and wavelength of the radiation. A spectrophotometer is a device used to measure the change in the radiation intensity caused by its interaction with the material.
The essential components of a spectrophotometer include a source of electromagnetic radiation, a slot for placing a material to be analyzed, and a...

IR Spectrometers

IR Spectrometers

There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Interactions of Linearly Polarized and Unpolarized Light on Kiwifruit Using Aquaphotomics.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2022

Same author

Correction of Temperature Variation with Independent Water Samples to Predict Soluble Solids Content of Kiwifruit Juice Using NIR Spectroscopy.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2022

Same author

Rapid changes in mucociliary transport in the tracheal epithelium caused by unconditioned room air or nebulized hypertonic saline and mannitol are not determined by frequency of beating cilia.

Intensive care medicine experimental·2021

Same author

Brachial arterial temperature as an indicator of core temperature: proof of concept and potential applications.

The journal of extra-corporeal technology·2013

Same author

Thermal stability of intralipid optical phantoms.

Applied spectroscopy·2013

Same author

Temporal sensitivity of the wavelength calibration of a photodiode array spectrometer.

Applied spectroscopy·2010

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs

Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs

Published on: August 27, 2019

Accurate and precise wavelength calibration for wide bandwidth array spectrometers.

Paul Martinsen¹, Bob Jordan, Andrew McGlone

¹The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. pmartinsen@hortresearch.co.nz

Applied Spectroscopy

|September 20, 2008

Summary

Accurate wavelength calibration for array spectrometers is challenging with large bandwidths. A simple monochromator filtering method improves calibration accuracy to better than 0.12 nm, enhancing spectral measurements and instrument calibration transfer.

More Related Videos

High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis

High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis

Published on: December 22, 2015

Calibration of Vector Network Analyzer for Measurements in Radio Frequency Propagation Channels

Calibration of Vector Network Analyzer for Measurements in Radio Frequency Propagation Channels

Published on: June 2, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs

Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs

Published on: August 27, 2019

High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis

High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis

Published on: December 22, 2015

Calibration of Vector Network Analyzer for Measurements in Radio Frequency Propagation Channels

Calibration of Vector Network Analyzer for Measurements in Radio Frequency Propagation Channels

Published on: June 2, 2020

Area of Science:

Spectroscopy
Analytical Chemistry
Optical Engineering

Background:

Wavelength calibration of array spectrometers is crucial for accurate spectral analysis.
Standard calibration methods using broad-spectrum sources (e.g., mercury-argon lamps) face challenges with large spectrometer bandwidths due to overlapping spectral lines.
Difficulty in resolving closely spaced calibration lines hinders precise wavelength scale determination.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a simple method for improving the accuracy of wavelength calibration in array spectrometers with large bandwidths.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of using a monochromator to isolate calibration lines.
To assess the potential for transferring multivariate calibrations between instruments using this improved calibration technique.

Main Methods:

Utilized a monochromator to filter a calibration source (e.g., mercury-argon lamp), isolating individual spectral lines.
Applied this filtered approach to ten array spectrometers, each with a large bandwidth (12 nm) and 3.3 nm center-to-center pixel spacing.
Measured the accuracy of the wavelength calibration achieved with the new method.

Main Results:

Achieved wavelength calibration accuracy better than 0.12 nm across ten spectrometers.
Attained an average calibration accuracy of 0.09 nm, representing less than 3% of the pixel spacing.
Demonstrated a significant improvement in resolving and locating calibration lines compared to traditional methods.

Conclusions:

The proposed monochromator-based filtering approach effectively enhances wavelength calibration accuracy for array spectrometers, even with large bandwidths.
This method offers a practical solution for overcoming limitations in resolving closely spaced spectral lines.
The improved calibration accuracy is expected to benefit spectral measurements and facilitate the transfer of multivariate calibrations between different instruments.