Portable source improves calibrations
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 6/1/2004
If you need bright blue light at a very specific wavelength, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can make it—and fast.
NIST has developed a "rainbow source" that can be tuned across the entire visible light spectrum, from red to blue light. This source exploits recent materials advances in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of different colors.
By mixing exact percentages of LEDs at different wavelengths of visible light with the desired brightness, the optical properties of the source (such as the color) can be changed and tailored for a particular application. The source uses commercial LEDs. NIST researchers characterized the LEDs and developed the packaging, electronics, and software. In addition, the tunable light source is highly portable, and battery-operated versions have been developed for field applications. www.nist.gov.
