MCS260B
CORNERSTONE 260B MONOCHROMATORS
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6 DIFFRACTION GRATINGS
Diffraction gratings are used to spatially separate light of different wavelengths. They have replaced
prisms in most fields of spectral analysis. Up to four gratings are installed into the Cornerstone 260B
monochromator, depending upon the configuration selected. In general, the grating with the highest
efficiency is chosen at a particular wavelength. The optional Oriel TracQ
™ Basic Data Acquisition and
Radiometry Software allows users to set up a specific grating switchover wavelength, so the most
appropriate grating will automatically be chosen while performing a scan over a range of wavelengths.
The Cornerstone 260B monochromators feature diffraction gratings produced by Richardson Gratings.
Both Oriel Instruments and Richardson Gratings are part of the Newport family of brands and have a long
history of working together to design monochromators that are appropriate for a wide variety of
applications.
A tutorial on grating physics may be found in the Appendix of this user’s manual.
The photos below illustrate diffraction gratings mounted into holders for installation into the Cornerstone
260B monochromator (Fig 14 and 15). The grating is precisely positioned on the mount using a fixture,
and then the grating angle is aligned by Newport, with the screws locked into place using the red
adhesive. An unmounted grating cannot be installed by the user in the field; gratings must be installed
onto the appropriate mount for the Cornerstone 260B monochromator and aligned at the factory. The
mount differs, depending on whether it is a dual-grating or quad-grating instrument configuration.
Figure 14: Gratings installed on dual mount.
Figure 15: Gratings Installed on quad mount.
