MERCURY CADMIUM TELLURIDE FOCAL-PLANE ARRAY DETECTION FOR MIDINFRAREDFOURIER-TRANSFORM SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING

By combining step-scan Fourier-transform Michelson interferometry, an infrared microscope, and mercury cadmium telluride focal-plane array i mage detection we have constructed a mid-infrared spectroscopic imagin g system that simultaneously records high-fidelity images and spectra of materials from 3500 to 900 cm(-1) (2.8 to 11 mu m) at a variety of spectral resolutions. The fidelity of the spectral images is determine d by the pixel number density of the focal-plane array. Step-scan imag ing principles and instrument design details are outlined. Spatial res olution measurements and infrared chemical imaging examples are presen ted, and the results are discussed with respect to implications for ch emical analysis of biosystems and composite materials. (C) 1997 Optica l Society of America.