Bringing VIS/NIR speed to MIR
Are you looking to bring the simplicity and speed of visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) grating spectrometers into the mid-infrared (MIR) range – without cooling systems, moving parts, and complex alignment?
NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer facilitates this integration by upconverting MIR light to VIS/NIR and using a conventional diffraction grating with CMOS detectors, offering fast, inline spectral acquisitions across 2.0 – 5.0 µm. Similar to VIS/NIR spectrometers, this enables real-time, inline mid-infrared measurements at the production lines.
Why MIR Acquisitions Have Been Complex – Until Now
In the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR), grating spectrometers disperse light onto low-noise CMOS or InGaAs line arrays, capturing full spectra instantly. Beyond approximately 2.5 µm, such detector arrays are limited, therefore, most MIR systems revert to monochromators that scan a rotating grating across a cooled point detector like MCT or InSb. This setup leads to increased cost, complexity, and acquisition time.
Our approach at NLIR enhances mid-infrared spectroscopy capabilities by incorporating standard diffraction gratings to operate in the MIR range, just like those used in VIS/NIR spectrometers.
How NLIR's MIDWAVE Spectrometer Works: Upconversion and CMOS Detectors
Our patented technology upconverts mid-infrared signals into near-visible or near-infrared light, where high-efficiency CMOS line arrays perform optimally. The upconversion is instantaneous and entirely optical. Mid-infrared light is directed into the wavelength conversion unit, upconverted to VIS/NIR, dispersed by a standard diffraction grating, and detected by a CMOS detectors – capturing the full spectrum in a single shot.
Learn more about the upconversion technology or explore the capabilities of MIDWAVE Spectrometer.
This technology enables a compact, fiber-coupled, and vibration-tolerant spectrometer operating at room temperature. Having no moving parts, it is easily installed in environments where vibrations or variable temperatures are prominent, and is ready to be implemented at production lines in an industrial environment.
NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer has the following technical specifications:
- Optical bandwidth: 2.0 – 5.0 µm
- Noise levels: as low as 5 pW/nm
- Operation: room temperature, no moving parts, no cryo-cooling needed, vibration-tolerant, and robust
- Acquisition rate: broadband spectra in ms
- Ideal for: inline process monitoring in industrial and research settings
Benefits for Technical Teams
Given the technical parameters, MIDWAVE Spectrometer can be a versatile tool for powering real-time measurements at the robust industrial processes giving strong insights in the mid-infrared region. With NLIR’s mid-infrared spectrometer, you can:
- capture broadband spectra within milliseconds, enhancing process monitoring speed;
- operate at room temperature without the need for cooling or scanning mirrors;
- maintain stability in vibration-rich or thermally dynamic environments;
- integrate seamlessly with your existing production architecture with flexible interfaces.
Taking these benefits into account, MIDWAVE Spectrometer can be an excellent choice for teams aiming to extend VIS/NIR spectroscopy insights into the MIR range and uncover the undiscovered!
Ready to Transform Your Industrial Operations?
NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer supports a wide range of inline measurements across industries. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Optical coating and thin-film characterization on metals, polymers, and glass;
- Metal surface coating characterization to ensure correct thickness, uniform curing, and reliable protective performance;
- Semiconductor thin-film characterization to verify thickness accuracy, material quality, and free-carrier properties;
- Inline plastic sorting, including black plastic recognition, for recycling and production quality control multi-gas monitoring and time-resolved R&D studies.
Take the Next Step
You can find many more application areas under Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Applications or Scientific Research page. If you have a specific measurement case in mind, please do not hesitate to contact us and our optical engineers’ team will help evaluate your possibilities.
