Design of a Fourier transform spectrometer for high resolution spectroscopy

High resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy is a technique that allows for the quantitative analysis of complex mixtures in the gas phase. The instrument can also be used as an optical spectrum analyzer. This work presents the design and fabrication of the first prototype of a homemade high resolution Fourier transform spectrometer in Louvain-la-Neuve. The optical and mechanical considerations of the prototype are addressed in this report, along with the data processing of the first raw data recorded with the prototype. Experiments that were made to check the correct behaviour of some of the elements of the setup are detailed. The measurement of the spectral response of a bandpass optical filter at low resolution is presented and it is compared to spectra obtained with commercialized instruments.