A MEMS-based correlation radiometer

We describe the development of a MEMS-based correlation radiometer for remote detection of chemical species. The radiometer utilizes a new type of MEMS programmable diffraction grating called the Polychromator. The Polychromator contains an array of 1024 electrostatically actuated reflective beams that are 10 microns wide by 1 cm long, and have a vertical travel of approximately 2 - 4 microns. The Polychromator grating is used to replace the reference cell of conventional correlation radiometry. Appropriate programming of the deflection profile of the grating array enables the production of any spectral transfer function desired for the correlation measurement. Advantages of this approach to correlation radiometry include the ability to detect multiple chemical species with a compact instrument, the ability to optimize the reference spectra to eliminate chemical interferences, and the ability to produce reference spectra for hazardous and transient species.