Optical Component Tradeoffs

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The main grating tradeoff is between simple alignment and compact packaging.

Transmission Grating

A transmission-grating layout is mechanically simpler, but the required linear optical path was not compatible with the target enclosure footprint.

Reflective Grating

A reflective blazed grating in a Czerny-Turner geometry was selected because it fits a more compact path and follows common spectrometer practice. The accepted cost is higher alignment sensitivity.

VPH Grating

A volume phase holographic grating can provide high efficiency and low stray light, but the cost and bandwidth constraints make it a poor fit for this prototype.

Other Optical Sensitivities

Mirror coating, grating efficiency, slit width, and filter transmission all affect the measured intensity response. Those effects must be represented in the response-correction workflow rather than treated as software display issues only.