Single etalon design for two-stage cross-axis VIPA spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Spectroscopy
• Microscopy

Background:

• Two-stage cross-axis VIPA spectrometers are crucial for Brillouin microscopy, offering high throughput and extinction for spectral measurements.
• Existing configurations face challenges in size, cost, and alignment complexity due to cascaded etalons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more compact and cost-effective spectrometer for Brillouin microscopy.
• To overcome the alignment and size limitations of traditional two-stage VIPA spectrometers.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a single etalon within a cross-axis VIPA spectrometer.
• Utilizing a novel light recirculation architecture to simulate a multistage configuration.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of a single-etalon spectrometer achieving multistage performance.
• Potential for reduced instrument size and complexity compared to two-stage systems.

Conclusions:

• The proposed single-etalon, recirculating VIPA spectrometer offers a promising alternative for Brillouin microscopy.
• This design addresses key challenges, potentially making advanced spectral measurements more accessible.