Analysis of a moderate resolution Fourier transform imaging spectrometer

A moderate resolution Fourier transform imaging spectrometer based on a modified Michelson interferometer is presented. The moving part of the interferometer is a moving wedged prism (MWP) instead of a moving mirror. The principle of the interferometer is described and the optical path difference as a function of the displacement of the MWP is calculated. Theoretical calculation and analysis are presented for the two moveable directions (hypotenuse and right angle side) of the MWP. The modified Michelson interferometer is not so sensitive to the non-uniform variation of moving speed and the environmental vibrations compared with the conventional Michelson interferometer. It is compact and has a large numerical aperture. The interferometer facilitated by CCD camera and the accompanying digital hardware and software are becoming the imaging spectrometer with moderate resolution is applicable in ultraviolet-infrared region.