Tunable high-finesse narrow bandpass Fabry – Perot filter

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of the analysis and experimental characterization of a narrow bandpass optical filter based on the Fabry – Perot interferometer configuration with a variable spacing between the mirrors allowing for a relatively wide spectral tunability. Such a filter, with a high-throughput bandpass and sufficiently large aperture and acceptance angle, is of practical interest for a highresolution spectrometry and remote sensing in the visible and infrared spectral regions. The Fabry – Perot filter (FPF) can be designed in a compact single-assembly architecture that can be accommodated within existing instruments and should provide a stable performance under variable thermal and mechanical conditions, including space and airborne platforms. Possible applications of the filter include high-resolution multispectral imaging, terrain mapping, atmosphere and surface parameters measurements, and detection of chemical and biological agents.