Variable narrowband transmission filters with a wide rejection band for spectrometry

Variable narrowband transmission filters are useful for the development of compact spectrometers. For this purpose the filter should be directly coupled to the detector and the wavelength of the transmission peak should move in one surface direction over a length of a few millimeters. To obtain both a wide measurement spectrum and high accuracy, the ratio of extreme operating wavelengths is required to be greater than 2:1 and the width of the transmission band narrower than 10 nm. A metal-dielectric variable transmission filter, with an operating range of 400-1000 nm, is proposed. The method for obtaining variable transmission filters, with dimensions of a few millimeters, is described. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.