The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has upgraded its Ultraviolet Spectral Comparator Facility (UV SCF) by replacing the Argon Mini-Arc Source (AMAS) with a more advanced laser-driven plasma light source (LDLS). This upgrade will significantly improve the facility’s ability to calibrate ultraviolet detectors with higher accuracy and efficiency.
The LDLS provides several key benefits over the previous AMAS source, including higher brightness, smaller size, better stability, and improved conversion efficiency. These enhancements will allow NIST to calibrate working standard detectors directly against an absolute cryogenic radiometer (ACR), eliminating the need for transfer standards and reducing uncertainties.
The use of the LDLS will also expand the UV SCF’s capabilities to shorter wavelengths, at least down to 300 nm, and improve the overall performance of the facility. NIST’s spectral comparator facilities play a crucial role in providing radiometric detector and source calibration services, which span the optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The upgrade to the LDLS will significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of detector calibrations, particularly in the short-wavelength range below 220 nm.
Keywords: detector, source, calibration, responsivity, radiometer
