Ames Photonics LARRY and GARRY series are two families of linear CCD array detectors which offer cost-effective, scientific-grade performance to suit a wide range of spectroscopic applications. They are compatible with virtually all commercial spectrometers, making them ideal for upgrading existing systems or for incorporation into flexible new spectroscopic tools and instruments.

Supported by a wide range of accessories, including software packages for data acquisition and analysis, mounting hardware and more, these are ideal detector choices around which to configure a modular solution for your spectroscopic application.

The LARRY series (pictured) is ideal for general spectroscopic purposes.

The GARRY series (below) is designed primarily for applications requiring synchronization to pulsed sources, or for other time-sensitive measurements. These detectors incorporate on-board gating electronics.

All of our scientific-grade detectors are carefully tested and sorted as part of our stringent manufacturing and opimization process. We guarantee that they will exhibit no fringing effects across their full spectral range. All detectors include UV grade fused silica windows and are sensitized with a proprietary coating to extend performance from below 200nm to above 1100nm. 

• High performance detector in an easy-to-use package
• USB2.0 interface: simply plug in and start using
• Complete with flexible, powerful software

Oculus is a versatile USB photodetector system which has been developed for measuring and logging CW and pulsed optical and laser sources in the 200-1700nm range.

The detectors incorporate low noise, high gain 16 bit oversampling amplifiers for high sensitivity. Typical saturation signals are a few nJ. The shortest integration time is 20 microseconds, the longest 10 seconds. They also include an external trigger input and internal, programmable delay generator for synchronization to pulsed sources. 

All operating parameters (integration time, interval between samples, averaging, internal delay and box-car mode operation) are controlled via open-source software. Each detector is supplied with a Software Development Kit containing examples of typical detector acquisition and display programs in Labview, C++, VB and SpectraScript. These examples can be used to make simple measurements. Source code is included, enabling users to extend these programs or write completely new ones to control the detectors and integrate them into larger experiments.

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• Spectral response 800-1700nm
• 256 and 512 element arrays
• 50m x 500m pixels
• TE cooled/temperature stabilized

The IRA Series detection systems incorporate low noise 256 and 512 element InGaAs IR linear Arrays optimized for spectroscopic applications in the 800-1700nm range. They include TE coolers and controllers. The detector heads are air cooled. The detectors are cooled, and temperature stabilized to 5 degrees C to reduce noise and stabilize dark signal. These detectors are well suited for general spectroscopic measurements, and are ideal in most industrial applications for absorption measurements.

The IRA series of InGaAs Linear Array Detectors were developed for spectroscopic measurements in 800-1700nm range where many molecular systems have absorption and reflectance features. Although silicon based arrays can have response out to 1100nm, it is often impractical to use silicon detectors beyond 900nm in broadband measurements because of the rapid decrease in response.

Ames Photonics prides itself on the wide range of proven, reliable software available to support its range of linear detectors. Our software is best-in-class, offering unmatched power and flexibility.

All of our detectors come bundled with our SpectraArraySL software for data acquisition and analysis on a single-user system. The software incorporates many proprietary features, including for example, the display of all active spectra on the screen at the same time. LabVIEW drivers are also available.

The revolutionary new SpectraNet multiple user/single institution software provides total flexibility of control of any number of detectors. It can be set up on any number of PCs in the one institution, and supports remote control over a LAN. For OEMs who wish to develop their own control and analysis software the OEM developers kit is available.

For advanced mathematical analysis of spectral data we offer SpectraSolve, while for custom system control, development (such as the integration of drivers for other instruments with the Ames detector drivers), custom analysis and reporting, we have released SpectraScript.

Over the past three decades a variety of detection techniques have been used to probe the ultrafast dynamics of complex molecular and semiconductor systems. These techniques include absorption, fluorescence, multiphoton ionisation, photoelectron detection, fourwave mixing, stimulated Raman and photon echo. Very recently there has been much interest in developing multidimensional femtosecond laser techniques similar to those successfully used in NMR to study ultrafast dynamical processes. These include non-linear multiple-pulse coherent techniques which probe correlations between the electric fields generated in the phasematching directions by the different laser pulses and allow detailed spectroscopic information to be obtained in the presence of inhomogeneous broadening.

In the image shown above, three laser pulses generate third (or higher) order polarization and result in spatially distributed electric fields generated in various phase-matching directions. From this data, detailed spectroscopic information can be extracted.