Spectral Irradiance Responsivity Research Articles

Pyroelectric detector-based method for low uncertainty spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations in the infrared using tunable lasers.

The standard uncertainty of detector-based radiance and irradiance responsivity calibrations in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) traditionally has been limited to around 1% or higher by the poor spatial uniformity of detectors used to transfer the scale from radiant power. Pyroelectric detectors offer a solution that avoids the spatial uniformity uncertainty but also introduces additional complications due to alternating current (AC) measurement techniques. Herein, a new, to the best of our knowledge, method for low uncertainty irradiance responsivity calibrations in the SWIR is presented. An absolute spectral irradiance responsivity scale was placed on two pyroelectric detectors (PED) at wavelengths λ from 500 to 3400 nm. The total combined uncertainty (k=1) was ≈0.28% (>1000nm), 0.44% (900 nm), and 0.36% (≈950nm and <900nm) for PED #1 and 0.34% (>1000nm), 0.48% (900 nm), and 0.42% (≈950nm and <900nm) for PED #2. This was done by utilizing a demodulation technique to digitally analyze the time-dependent AC waveforms, which obviates the use of lock-in amplifiers and avoids associated additional uncertainty components.

Calibration of a modular trap detector system towards a new realisation of the luminous intensity unit

A modular photometric trap detector system has recently been developed at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). All parts of the detector are now completely calibrated. The new planned traceability chain for the realisation of luminous intensity unit can therefore be established for the first time. This contribution shows the results of the individual calibration steps including the associated measurement uncertainties and correlations. A major part of the calibrations along the traceability chain is done at the upgraded measurement setup TULIP (TUnable Lasers In Photometry). The improvements of the TULIP setup are presented and the effects on the measurement uncertainty are shown. The result of the first complete calibration according to the new traceability chain is compared to previous calibration results both in terms of spectral irradiance responsivity and luminous responsivity. The further steps required towards implementing the new traceability chain and the possible implications are discussed.

The linearization of the relationship between scene luminance and digital camera output levels

The linearization of the relationship between scene luminance and digital camera output levels

Invited Article: Advances in tunable laser-based radiometric calibration applications at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA.

Recent developments at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's facility for Spectral Irradiance and Radiance responsivity Calibrations using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) are presented. The facility is predicated on the use of broadly tunable narrow-band lasers as light sources in two key radiometric calibration applications. In the first application, the tunable lasers are used to calibrate the spectral power responsivities of primary standard detectors against an absolute cryogenic radiometer (ACR). The second function is to calibrate the absolute radiance and irradiance responsivities of detectors with uniform light sources, typically generated by coupling the laser light into integrating spheres. The radiant flux from the uniform sources is determined by the ACR-calibrated primary standard detectors. Together these sources and detectors are used to transfer radiometric scales to a variety of optical instruments with low uncertainties. We describe methods for obtaining the stable, uniform light sources required for low uncertainty measurements along with advances in laser sources that facilitate tuning over broader wavelength ranges. Example applications include the development of a detector-based thermodynamic temperature scale, the calibration and characterization of spectrographs, and the use of a traveling version of SIRCUS (T-SIRCUS) to calibrate large aperture Earth observing instruments and astronomical telescopes.

Realization of spectral irradiance responsivity at NIS-Egypt

Realization of the absolute spectral irradiance responsivity of photodetectors in A/W/cm2 is a fundamental requirement for many photometric, radiometric and colorimetric applications. This work aimed to develop a standardized radiometric setup for realizing the absolute spectral irradiance responsivity in the range of 500 nm–950 nm at the National Institute of Standards (NIS), Egypt. A silicon trap detector, calibrated against the primary standard cryogenic radiometer, is used as a transfer standard for the calibration of S2281 Hamamatsu silicon photodiode, as a working standard, using a lamp-double monochromator based system. The accompanied uncertainty components affecting the measurements were investigated.

Monochromatic measurements of the JPSS-1 VIIRS polarization sensitivity.

Polarization sensitivity is a critical property that must be characterized for spaceborne remote sensing instruments designed to measure reflected solar radiation. Broadband testing of the first Joint Polar-orbiting Satellite System (JPSS-1) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) showed unexpectedly large polarization sensitivities for the bluest bands on VIIRS (centered between 400 and 600 nm). Subsequent ray trace modeling indicated that large diattenuation on the edges of the bandpass for these spectral bands was the driver behind these large sensitivities. Additional testing using the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Traveling Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations Using Uniform Sources was added to the test program to verify and enhance the model. The testing was limited in scope to two spectral bands at two scan angles; nonetheless, this additional testing provided valuable insight into the polarization sensitivity. Analysis has shown that the derived diattenuation agreed with the broadband measurements to within an absolute difference of about 0.4% and that the ray trace model reproduced the general features of the measured data. Additionally, by deriving the spectral responsivity, the linear diattenuation is shown to be explicitly dependent on the changes in bandwidth with polarization state.

Traceability of solar UV measurements using the Qasume reference spectroradiometer.

One major objective of the European Joint Research Project "Traceability for surface spectral solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation" was to reduce the uncertainty of spectral UV measurements. The measurement instrument used for this work was the portable UV European reference spectroradiometer Qasume. The calibration uncertainty of this instrument was decreased and validated by a comparison of direct calibrations against a primary standard for spectral irradiance, a high temperature blackbody radiator, and against a reference detector using a spectrally tunable laser as a monochromatic source. The spectral irradiance responsivity of the reference detector is traceable to the primary standard of optical power, realized through a cryogenic radiometer, and to the SI unit of meter. The measuring technique was improved by the construction of a new reference spectroradiometer, QasumeII. An improved input optics removes the dependences of the measured solar irradiance on the angle of incident for solar zenith angle smaller than 75deg. Moreover, a hybrid photon detection system enables continuous tracking of the instrument's responsivity changes. For both spectroradiometer systems an uncertainty budget was calculated. The improvements have reduced the measurement uncertainties of solar spectral UV irradiance measurements from 4.8% in 2005 to 2.0% (k=2) in the spectral region above 310nm. The largest sources of uncertainty were the absolute spectral irradiance responsivity calibration, the angular response uncertainty, and the instrument stability using the hybrid detector, which were reduced from 3.6% to 1.1%, from 1.2% to 0.6%, and from 0.65% to 0.4%, with respect to the situation prior to the project. The new instrument was validated during a four month intercomparison relative to the Qasume reference. The mean ratio of the solar irradiance scans between the two reference spectroradiometers has an offset of +0.7% and a standard deviation of ±1.5% for a wavelength greater than 305nm, which is well within the combined uncertainty of 3.7% calculated from the uncertainties of the two systems.

Usability of a Fourier transform spectroradiometer for absolute surface spectral solar UV irradiance measurements.

The suitability of a commercially available Fourier transform spectrometer equipped with a fiber-coupled global entrance optic as a reference spectroradiometer for the measurement of spectral solar ultraviolet irradiance at ground level has been investigated. The instrument has been characterized with respect to the wavelength uncertainty, and a calibration of the spectral irradiance responsivity has been performed by using the calculable irradiance of a high temperature black-body radiator and by using a secondary irradiance standard lamp. The relative standard uncertainty of solar irradiance measurements in the wavelength range from 310 nm to 400 nm with this spectroradiometer, based on the described methodology, is 1.6% for solar zenith angles of less than 60°.

Validation of short-pulse-laser-based measurement setup for absolute spectral irradiance responsivity calibration.

This paper describes the validation process of mode-locked lasers in the "tunable lasers in photometry" (TULIP) setup at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) regarding spectral irradiance responsivity calibrations. Validation has been carried out in the visible spectral range, 400-700 nm, with two different photometer heads and in the long wavelength range, 690-780 nm, with a filtered radiometer. A comparison of the results against those from two different validated measurement setups has been carried out for validation. For the visible spectral range, the comparison is conducted against the data obtained from a lamp-based monochromator setup for spectral irradiance responsivity calibrations and against the photometric values (integral quantity) measured at the photometric bench setup of PTB. For the long wavelength range, comparisons against results from two different lamp-based monochromator measurement setups were made. Additionally, the effect of different radiation bandwidths on interference oscillations has been determined for a filter radiometer without a diffuser. A procedure for the determination of the optimum bandwidth of the setup for the respective measurement device is presented.

Research on calibration method in lab of direct solar channels of Sun photometer

We develop a new calibration method in lab by measuring the absolute spectral irradiance responsivity of Sun photometer sun channel. The absolute power responsivity of Sun photometer is obtained when a white laser double monochromator system serve as a source, and a standard transfer detector calibrated against cryogenic absolute radiometer is assembled to measure the absolute power of laser beam. The effective area of aperture is measured through laser raster scanning method, and the relative spectral irradiance responsivity of the corresponding channel is obtained by using tungsten-halogen lamps double monochromator system. On the basis of the above results, the top of the atmosphere responsive constants V0 (500, 675, and 870 nm) are obtained by integration with extraterrestrial solar spectral irradiance data. Comparing the calibration results with that of CIMEL, France in November 2011, the relative differences are 4.38%, 2.23%, and 2.45%, respectively. The calibration uncertainty reaches to 2.048×10-2, which shows a remarkable consistency with the Langley plot method. Further, our scheme can overcome the limits of space and atmospheric conditions which are only available at a high-altitude calibration site in particular date. The advantages lie in not only shortening the experiment period but also being of high precision. This new scheme definitely plays an important role in supporting the current and future sun photometry calibration activities which are significant to earth observation.

Spectral responsivity-based calibration of photometer and colorimeter standards

Several new generation transfer- and working-standard illuminance meters and tristimulus colorimeters have been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [1] to measure all kinds of light sources with low uncertainty. The spectral and broad-band (illuminance) responsivities of the photometer (Y) channels of two tristimulus meters were determined at both the Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) facility and the Spectral Comparator Facility (SCF) [2]. The two illuminance responsivities agreed within 0.1% with an overall uncertainty of 0.2% (k = 2), which is a factor of two improvement over the present NIST photometric scale. The first detector-based tristimulus color scale [3] was realized. All channels of the reference tristimulus colorimeter were calibrated at the SIRCUS. The other tristimulus meters were calibrated at the SCF and also against the reference meter on the photometry bench in broad-band measurement mode. The agreement between detector- and source-based calibrations was within 3 K when a tungsten lamp-standard was measured at 2856 K and 3100 K [4]. The color–temperature uncertainty of tungsten lamp measurements was 4 K (k = 2) between 2300 K and 3200 K, which is a factor of two improvement over the presently used NIST source-based color temperature scale. One colorimeter was extended with an additional (fifth) channel to apply software implemented matrix corrections. With this correction, the spectral mismatch caused color difference errors were decreased by a factor of 20 for single-color LEDs.

Comparison of the radiation temperature scales of the PTB and the NPL in the temperature range from −57 °C to 50 °C

Blackbody sources at near-ambient temperature are routinely used to calibrate infrared instruments used in remote sensing and thermal imaging applications to measure radiance and radiation temperature. The measured temperature of the blackbody and its calculated effective emissivity determine its radiance and radiation temperature according to Planck's law. The temperature measurement is generally accomplished with a contact thermometer which is calibrated against the International Temperature Scale (ITS-90). The ammonia heat-pipe blackbody of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany is a primary source standard working over a wide spectral range with low uncertainties, i.e. less than 33 mK at 10 µm in the temperature range from –60 °C to 50 °C. A more direct method of absolute radiance measurement is to use an absolutely calibrated radiometer, calibrated against a primary detector standard, the cryogenic radiometer. AMBER (Absolute Measurements of Blackbody Emitted Radiance) is an absolutely calibrated radiometer of the Optical Measurement Group of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK which was specially designed to determine the radiance and hence the radiation temperature of near-ambient-temperature blackbodies. When AMBER is operated at short wavelengths, where photodetectors offering good long-term stability exist, it derives its traceability through the cryogenic radiometer. However, available photodetectors operating in the 8 µm to 12 µm wavelength range offer poor long-term stability so when AMBER is used in this wavelength range, the NPL radiance temperature scale is based on a gallium fixed-point blackbody operating at 29.7646 °C (ITS-90). At other radiance temperatures, the NPL scale also relies on the gallium fixed-point blackbody but requires the calibration of the relative spectral irradiance responsivity of the AMBER radiometer (done against NPL spectral responsivity standards), measurement of the radiometric zero, as well as the use of Planck's equation. This paper gives the results of a comparison of the radiation temperature scale of the PTB with the radiation temperature scale of NPL in a temperature range from −57 °C to 50 °C for wavelengths around 10 µm.

Infrared spectral responsivity scale realization and validations

An InSb working standard radiometer, first calibrated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 1999 against a cryogenic bolometer, was recently calibrated against a newly developed low-noise-equivalent-power pyroelectric transfer standard detector. The pyroelectric transfer standard, which can operate at the output of a monochromator, holds the newly realized NIST spectral power responsivity scale between 1.7 and 14 μm with an uncertainty of 1% (k=2). The InSb working standard was also measured at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the United Kingdom in 1999. The less than 2% spectral power responsivity disagreements obtained on the InSb working standard (both from the 1999 NIST and NPL comparison and also against the pyroelectric standard) validate the three independently realized power responsivity scales and verify the long-term stability of the InSb working standard. The InSb working standard was also used in irradiance measurement mode to validate the previously determined spectral irradiance responsivity of four narrowband InSb radiometers that were applied to calibrate IR target simulators. The uncertainty of the present spectral irradiance responsivity scale held by the InSb working standard is 2.5% (k=2) in the 2 to 5.2 μm wavelength range.

A new method for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using kilohertz pulsed tunable optical parametric oscillators

Continuous-wave (CW) tunable lasers have been used for detector calibrations, especially for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity, for many years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other national metrology institutes. These CW tunable lasers, however, are expensive and difficult to automate. To address these issues, we developed a new method for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using relatively low cost, fully automated kilohertz pulsed tunable optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). The new method is based on measurements of the total energy of a pulsed OPO train using two synchronized current integrators (also called charge amplifiers) to measure the total integrated electric charges from a test detector and a standard detector, respectively. The absolute expanded uncertainty of this method is estimated to be 0.05% (with a coverage factor of k = 2) for spectral irradiance responsivity calibrations, and the dominant uncertainty contribution is from the reference trap detector.

Thermodynamic Radiation Thermometry Using Radiometers Calibrated for Radiance Responsivity

Using radiometry, thermodynamic temperatures can be determined by a variety of experimental techniques. Radiometers without imaging optics can be calibrated for spectral power or spectral irradiance responsivity, and radiometers with imaging optics can be calibrated for radiance responsivity. These separate approaches can have different uncertainty components with different uncertainty values. At NIST, thermodynamic radiation thermometry is performed using radiation thermometers calibrated for radiance responsivity using laser-irradiated integrating sphere sources (ISS). The radiance of the ISS is determined using Si-trap detectors whose spectral power responsivity is traceable to the electrical substitution cryogenic radiometer. The radiometric basis of the NIST approach is discussed. The uncertainty budget for the measurements as well as the characterizations to determine the component uncertainty values is listed.

Comparison of a Detector-Based Near-IR Radiance Scale to an ITS-90 Calibrated Radiation Thermometer

Integrating-sphere-input InGaAs radiometers (ISIR) have been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to extend the detector-based calibration of radiation thermometers from the Si range to the near-infrared (NIR). These near-infrared radiometers are used to determine the reference spectral irradiance responsivity scale based on the primary-standard cryogenic radiometer. The irradiance responsivity scale is then propagated to spectral radiance at the exit port of an integrating sphere. The near-infrared radiation thermometer (NIRT) is calibrated using this detector-based radiance scale. The first phase of this research work is reported here where the relative spectral radiance responsivity of the NIRT has been determined using a monochromator-based system. Thereafter, the relative spectral responsivity of the NIRT is converted into an absolute responsivity using the radiances from the Zn fixed point blackbody. Then, the NIRT is used to extend these calibrations for temperature measurements between 157 °C and 1000 °C. The NIRT has also been calibrated in this temperature range using the five, fixed point blackbodies of the ITS-90. The two different calibration approaches for temperature measurements are compared.

Absolute Radiometry for the MeP-K: The Irradiance Measurement Method

The “Mise en pratique for the definition of the kelvin” (MeP-K) as a guide for the realization of the kelvin is presently revised to incorporate the temperature scales in current use as the best formal approximations of the thermodynamic temperature and, additionally, direct methods of thermodynamic temperature measurement. Within the MeP-K, the CCT WG 5 “Radiation Thermometry” develops a document to facilitate the implementation of thermodynamic temperature measurements at temperatures above the silver fixed point (961.78 °C). Three thermodynamic temperature measurement methods, all relying on absolute spectral-band radiometry, are proposed. To make these techniques more accessible for the broader thermometry community, each of these methods is described in detail in an accompanying paper to the MeP-K. These descriptions shall not be understood as a restriction to other possible radiometric methods of thermodynamic temperature measurement. One of the methods of radiometric temperature measurement above the silver point is the absolute measurement of irradiance in a well-defined spectral band. This is a straightforward method, which relies on filter radiometers with known spectral irradiance responsivity and a well-defined observation geometry, without any imaging technique. It has been developed for thermodynamic temperature measurements of precision blackbodies as primary standards for radiometry and thermometry and for the investigation of the uncertainty of the ITS-90 as an approximation of the thermodynamic temperature over a period of nearly 20 years at PTB. The article describes the design of the applied filter radiometers, their calibration chain, and their long-term stability. Additionally, the details and requirements of the experimental procedure for obtaining thermodynamic temperatures with this method are presented. Finally, relevant results obtained with this method, which is also applicable for temperatures significantly below the silver fixed point, are reviewed.

Differential spectral responsivity measurement of photovoltaic detectors with a light-emitting-diode-based integrating sphere source

We present an experimental realization of differential spectral responsivity measurement by using a light-emitting diode (LED)-based integrating sphere source. The spectral irradiance responsivity is measured by a Lambertian-like radiation field with a diameter of 40 mm at the peak wavelengths of the 35 selectable LEDs covering a range from 280 to 1550 nm. The systematic errors and uncertainties due to lock-in detection, spatial irradiance distribution, and reflection from the test detector are experimentally corrected or considered. In addition, we implemented a numerical procedure to correct the error due to the broad spectral bandwidth of the LEDs. The overall uncertainty of the DSR measurement is evaluated to be 2.2% (k = 2) for Si detectors. To demonstrate its application, we present the measurement results of two Si photovoltaic detectors at different bias irradiance levels up to 120 mW/cm(2).

Stray light characterization of an InGaAs anamorphic hyperspectral imager

Compact hyperspectral sensors potentially have a wide range of applications, including machine vision, quality control, and surveillance from small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With the development of Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) focal plane arrays, much of the Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) spectral regime can be accessed with a small hyperspectral imaging system, thereby substantially expanding hyperspectral sensing capabilities. To fully realize this potential, system performance must be well-understood. Here, stray light characterization of a recently-developed push-broom hyperspectral sensor sensitive in the 1 microm -1.7 microm spectral regime is described. The sensor utilizes anamorphic fore-optics that partially decouple image formation along the spatial and spectral axes of the instrument. This design benefits from a reduction in complexity over standard high-performance spectrometer optical designs while maintaining excellent aberration control and spatial and spectral distortion characteristics. The stray light performance characteristics of the anamorphic imaging spectrometer were measured using the spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using uniform sources (SIRCUS) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A description of the measurements and results are presented. Additionally, a stray-light matrix was assembled for the instrument to improve the instrument's spectral accuracy. Transmittance of a silicon wafer was measured to validate this approach.

Traceable radiometric calibration of semiconductor detectors and their application for thermodynamic temperature measurement

The non-contact measurement of temperature by using the emitted thermal radiation has been an innovative field of measurement science and fundamental physics for more than a hundred years. It saw the first highlight in Gustav Kirchhoff’s principle of a blackbody with ideal emission characteristics and culminated in Max Planck’s formulation of the law of thermal radiation, the so-called Planck’s law, forming the foundation of quantum physics. A boost in accuracy was the development of semiconductor detectors and the cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer in the late 1970s. Semiconductor detectors, namely photodiodes, deliver an electrical current proportional to the absorbed optical radiation. Due to the measurements of thermal radiation over a wide range of temperature and wavelength, thermodynamic temperature measurements with radiometric methods have set benchmarks to all, the electrical, dimensional and optical metrology. The paper describes the measurement of the spectral responsivity of semiconductor detectors traceable to the SI units and their application for thermodynamic temperature measurement by the absolute measurement of thermal radiation using filter radiometers with calibrated spectral irradiance responsivity.