The Polychromator: A Programmable MEMS Diffraction Grating for Synthetic Spectra

Abstract

We report here the design, fabrication and demonstration of an electrostatically actuated MEMS diffractive optical device, the Polychromator grating. The Polychromator grating enables a new type of correlation spectrometer for remote detection of a wide range of chemical species, offering electronic programmability, high specificity and sensitivity, fast response and ruggedness. Significant results include: (1) The first demonstrations of userdefined synthetic spectra in the 3 -5 pm wavelength regime based upon controlled deflection of individual grating elements in the Polychromator grating;