Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026
15:25
Design and Characterization Methodology for Efficient Wide Range Tunable MEMS Filters
Published on: February 4, 2018
6.6K
Acousto-optic tunable filter spectrometers in space missions [Invited]
Applied Optics
|May 2, 2018
Summary
Acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) spectrometers are increasingly used in space missions due to their compact size and reduced complexity. This review covers AOTF instruments flown or in development for planetary science and mineralogy.
Area of Science:
- Space instrumentation
- Planetary science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs) offer reduced volume, mass, and complexity for space-based spectrometers.
- 11 AOTF spectrometers have been operated in space for diverse applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review AOTF-based spectrometers used in space missions.
- To detail instrument principles, applications, and future developments.
- To discuss practical considerations for AOTF implementation in space.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on space-flown AOTF spectrometers.
- Description of AOTF principles and applications.
- Analysis of instrument design, calibration, and operational data.
Main Results:
- AOTF spectrometers are employed for ocean color, greenhouse gas analysis, planetary atmospheres (Mars, Venus), and lunar mineralogy.
- Numerous AOTF instruments are currently in development for Moon, Mars, and asteroid exploration.
- AOTFs are utilized in point spectrometers and hyperspectral imagers.
Conclusions:
- AOTF technology is a valuable and evolving tool for space exploration instrumentation.
- Lessons learned from design, calibration, and operation inform future AOTF-based missions.
- AOTF systems present distinct advantages and limitations for space applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:25IR Spectrometers
2.7K
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...
2.7K
01:27Passive Filters
1.0K
Passive filters are utilized to shape the frequency spectrum of signals across a diverse array of applications. These filters, using only passive elements like resistors (R), inductors (L), and capacitors (C), are capable of selectively allowing or blocking certain frequency ranges without the need for external power sources.
Low-Pass Filters
Low-pass filters are designed to transmit signals with frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency, ωc, and attenuate those above it. The cutoff...
Low-Pass Filters
Low-pass filters are designed to transmit signals with frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency, ωc, and attenuate those above it. The cutoff...
1.0K
01:16Mass Spectrometers
9.0K
This lesson details the instrumentation of a mass spectrometer—a physical instrument to perform mass spectrometry on analyte molecules and record the characteristic mass spectra. This is achieved via three chief functions:
9.0K
01:25Active Filters
1.3K
Active filters are electronic circuits that use operational amplifiers (op-amps), resistors, and capacitors to filter out unwanted frequency components from a signal. A first-order low-pass active filter is designed to pass signals with a frequency lower than a certain cutoff frequency and attenuate frequencies higher than that cutoff frequency. The transfer function for a first-order low-pass active filter is:
1.3K
01:20NMR Spectrometers: Overview
2.2K
NMR spectrometers consist of a strong magnet, a radiofrequency transmitter, and a detector attached to a computer console for recording spectra of samples containing NMR-active nuclei. In first-generation NMR instruments called continuous-wave spectrometers, the resonance frequencies of the nuclei are determined by frequency-sweep or field-sweep methods. The magnetic field strength is fixed and the rf signal is swept in the former, while the radiofrequency signal is fixed and the magnetic field...
2.2K
01:14UV–Vis Spectrometers
3.7K
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.
3.7K