Spatially encoded Fourier transform spectroscopy in the ultraviolet to near-infrared

A spatial (Sagnac triangular common path) interferometer is described and evaluated for obtaining spectra in the 200-950 nm wavelength region. The interferometer has no moving parts, requires no entrance or exit slits, and is easy to align. A linear CCD is employed as the detector, allowing spectra to be simultaneously acquired. The performance of the interferometer is demonstrated for atomic emission and solution absorbance spectra. A method to remove the fixed-pattern response of the detector and optical system is demonstrated which effectively increases the dynamic range of the resulting spectra.