<title>State-of-the-art imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer with CCD camera</title>

Abstract

Imaging Fourier-transform spectrometers can quickly produce massive amounts of raw data, especially when paired with large focal plane arrays. As the spatial resolution is increased, overwhelming amounts of data must be managed properly. A suitable design of the data processing chain is thus required to minimize the dataload and deliver processed information in real-time. This paper reviews the work being done to tailor data processing pipelines for Fourier-transform spectrometers (FTS) coupled with externally triggered CCD cameras. Various sampling techniques as well as spectral calibration and line shape correction approaches will be reviewed. Since traditional sampling techniques are not well suited for an FTS operating with a CCD camera, a hybrid time-position sampling approach is presented to reduce the number of samples per pixel. Furthermore, the approach enables a sampling jitter correction algorithm that can account for velocity fluctuations and channel delays, such as the CCD integration time. A fast spectral calibration approach is also demonstrated, based on a rapid line shape integration scheme. The calibration algorithm brings all pixel spectra on the same spectral grid and allows the user to directly compare spectral features between pixels. Moreover, the correction method offers software field-widening capabilities by binning pixels after spectral calibration. A large single-pixel detector can thus be emulated from the CCD array, allowing the user to broaden the field of view and to increase the SNR.