HANNOVER MESSE 2017, 24 - 28 April — After a successful launch at Photonics West in Janury 2017, IRSweep today presents for the first time in Europe the IRspectrometer — the first commercial tabletop frequency comb spectrometer offering microsecond time resolution combined with a large spectral bandwidth and high spectral resolution.
The introduction of IRspectrometer advances spectroscopy in a variety applications, including the analysis of biological samples, monitoring of fast reactions, and chemical composition analysis. IRspectrometer excels where fast time resolution or high throughput and superior brightness is required — including applications involving a complex background matrix or where multiple similar molecules must be simultaneously quantified.
Advancing Mid-IR Spectrometry
IRspectrometer is the first instrument to provide the advantages of dual-comb spectroscopy in a complete turn-key solution. Featuring the radically different approach of dual-comb spectroscopy that was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005, IRspectrometer overcomes the limitations of the well-known trade-offs of speed, resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio of Michelson FT-IRs. Unique features of IRspectrometer include:
- High speed: The fast time resolution of IRspectrometer (as low as 1 μs for a full spectrum) enables monitoring fast processes and high-throughput applications without relying on techniques like step-scan in FT-IRs.
- Superior brightness: The brightness of IRspectrometer’s laser frequency comb source is superior to conventional globar-based systems — providing an extraordinary dynamic range and enabling the analysis of high-absorption samples. This advantage significantly eases sample preparation for liquid and solid analytes.
- Bandwidth: IRspectrometer delivers microsecond resolution at high bandwidths. Center wavelengths between 6 μm (1700 cm-1) and 9.5 μm (1050 cm-1), covering fundamental amid absorption bands, are available. The range between 5 μm (2000 cm-1) and 12 um (830cm-1) is under development.
- Signal-to-noise: IRspectrometer achieves signal-to-noise ratios above 1000 per data point within less than a millisecond.
New Possibilities for Analysis
IRspectrometer’s unmatched combination of speed, bandwidth, and brightness opens new
possibilities for analysis in key applications. Examples include:
- Time-resolved bio-spectroscopy: IRspectrometer’s fast time resolution enables the observation of conformal changes in proteins in microseconds. The instrument’s brightness allows measurements of higher absorption samples than with FT-IRs.
- High-throughput IR analysis: When optimizing the activity of enzymes through modifications, IRspectrometer’s high-throughput rates excel in the analysis of large sample sizes.
- Chemical composition in the analysis of gaseous, liquid and solid samples: IRspectrometer’s superior brightness can handle high-absorptions samples. The instrument’s high resolution can resolve even narrow spectral features.
Immediate Availability
IRspectrometer is immediately available as a tabletop instrument with a standard sample interface in transmission configuration. For more information, visit the company website at https://irsweep.com.
About IRsweep
Based in Zürich, Switzerland, IRsweep was founded as an ETH Zurich corporate spin-off in 2014. IRsweep offers cutting edge optical sensing solutions based on semiconductor quantum cascade laser (QCL) frequency combs in the mid-infrared spectral range. IRsweep is dedicated to providing fast, selective, and broadband laser spectroscopy for a large range of applications. The company’s vision is to advance current optical analytic technology and expand the availability of optical methods
to users. Visit the IRsweep website at https://irsweep.com.
