Light Sources

Illumination light sources are needed for transmission, absorption and reflection spectroscopic setups. For convenient coupling of the light into our range of fibre optic cables, bundles and probes, it is necessary that the light collected can be coupled through SMA905 connectors. We offer a range of different light sources for a variety of applications and wavelength ranges as can be seen in the following table.

Application	Wavelength range	Type	Principle	Product
Colour VIS/NIR	360-2500nm	Tungsten Halogen	Continuous	AvaLight-HAL(-S)
DUV	190-400nm	Deuterium	Continuous	AvaLight-D-S-DUV
UV	215-400nm	Deuterium	Continuous	AvaLight-D-S
UV/VIS/NIR Refl/Abs	215-2500nm	Deuterium/Halogen	Continuous	AvaLight-DH-S(-BAL)
UV/VIS/NIR Absorption	200-2500nm	Deuterium/Halogen	Continuous	AvaLight-DHc
UV/VIS	200-1000nm	Xenon	Pulsed	AvaLight-XE
Fluorescence	Multiple possibilites	LED	Continuous	AvaLight-LED
Wavelength Calibration	253-1704nm	Mercury-Argon/ Neon/Argon	Continuous	AvaLight-CAL
Irradiance Calibration	360-250nm	Tungsten Halogen	Continuous	AvaLight-HAL-CAL
Irradiance Calibration	200-2500nm	Deuterium/Halogen	Continuous	AvaLight-DH-CAL

Deuterium light sources provide a stable output and are mostly used for UV absorption or reflectance measurements. In addition, the deuterium’s high stability enables the use as irradiance calibration source. The deuterium spectrum is not as smooth as the halogen spectrum and shows a high peak around 656 nm. The standard AvaLight-DH-S light source focusses the halogen through the deuterium bulb and produces a wide range light source. The new AvaLight-DHS-BAL has a dichroic beam splitter incorporated and eliminates the disturbing 656 nm peak, showing a smooth spectrum from 200-2500nm.

Pulsed xenon light sources are mostly used in applications that require a long lifetime and where a stable output is not the highest demand. Also the spectral output of a xenon light source is not as continuous as a halogen or deuterium light source, it has some high peaks and valleys.

Whenever a high power small wavelength range illumination is needed, an LED can efficiently be coupled into the fiber optics. A typical application is the use as an excitation light source for fluorescence applications. The long lifetime, short warm-up time and high stability are main features for LED light sources.

The spectral distribution of the different light sources is shown in the graph at the top of this page.