Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026

09:53
Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry With Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Synchrotron Radiation
Published on: October 30, 2012
Photoelectric scanning (6.65-m) spectrometer for VUV cross-section measurements
Applied Optics
|March 11, 2010
Summary
A new photoelectric scanner for a vacuum spectrograph achieves 0.001 nm wavelength resolution, surpassing existing vacuum monochromators. This advancement enables detailed analysis of molecular spectra in the vacuum ultraviolet region.
Area of Science:
- Spectroscopy
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional plate holders in vacuum spectrographs limit real-time spectral analysis.
- Existing vacuum monochromators have limitations in wavelength resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel photoelectric scanner for a 6.65-m normal incidence vacuum spectrograph.
- To achieve superior wavelength resolution for vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a photoelectric detector and a mechanically scanning exit slit into a vacuum spectrograph.
- The grating and entrance slit remain stationary during spectral scanning.
- Operation in the 120-300 nm wavelength region.
Main Results:
- The developed scanning spectrometer achieves a wavelength resolution of 0.001 nm.
- This resolution is superior to that of any currently available vacuum monochromator.
- Demonstrated performance through vacuum ultraviolet scans of CO and O(2) bands.
Conclusions:
- The photoelectric scanner significantly enhances the capabilities of vacuum spectrographs.
- The instrument provides unprecedented resolution for studying molecular spectra.
- Enables detailed analysis of emission and absorption spectra in the vacuum ultraviolet.
Related Concept Videos
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...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
In Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is used to probe the electronic structure of molecules. This technique provides insights into molecular electronic transitions, particularly the movement of electrons between different molecular orbitals. Radiation is absorbed if the energy of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the molecule is precisely equal to the energy difference between the excited and ground states. During this process,...
Ultraviolet and Visible (UV–Vis) Spectroscopy: Overview
Ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible or UV–Vis) spectroscopy is an analytical technique that investigates the interaction between matter and UV–Vis light within the electromagnetic spectrum. This method is widely used for its versatility, simplicity, and relatively quick data acquisition, making it valuable for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. When UV–Vis radiation passes through a material, molecules absorb light depending on the energy required for electronic transitions. As a result...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Beer–Lambert Law
The Beer-Lambert law describes the relationship between absorbance and concentration, which combines the principles established by scientists Johann Heinrich Lambert and August Beer. Lambert's law states that when light passes through a medium, the loss in intensity is directly proportional to the original intensity and the path length of the light. Beer's law proposed that the transmittance of a solution remains constant if the product of concentration and path length is constant. The modern...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Conjugated Systems
Organic compounds with conjugated double bonds show strong absorption features in the UV–visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum attributed to π → π* electronic excitations. Generally, a UV–vis absorption spectrum is recorded as a plot of absorbance vs wavelength. The wavelength of maximum absorbance, which manifests as a peak in the absorption spectrum, is denoted as λmax.
One of the factors influencing λmax is the extent of conjugation in the...
One of the factors influencing λmax is the extent of conjugation in the...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules
UV–Visible absorption spectra of conjugated dienes arise from the lowest energy π → π* transitions. The light-absorbing part of the molecule is called the chromophore, and the substituents directly attached to the chromophore are called auxochromes. A strong correlation exists between the absorption maxima, λmax, and the structure of a conjugated π system. The Woodward–Fieser rules predict the value of λmax for a given structure by adding the contributions...

