Absorption spectroscopy is a molecular spectroscopy method that uses the wavelength dependent absorption characteristics of materials to identify and quantify specific substances.

Many molecules absorb ultraviolet or visible light. The absorbance of a solution increases as the attenuation of the beam increases. In other words, the sample absorbs energy, i.e., photons, from the radiating field, and the variation is the absorption spectrum.

Absorption spectroscopy works as an analytical chemistry tool that decides if a particular substance is present in a sample and often also quantifies how much of the substance is present. Infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is particularly common in these kinds of analytical applications.

There are many different approaches for measuring absorption spectra. The most common one is to point a generated beam of light at a sample and detect the intensity of the radiation that goes through it. The energy that is then transmitted is used to calculate the absorption.

Ibsen Photonics offers a number of OEM spectrometer modules with the following distinct benefits for absorbance or absorption spectroscopy:

• Large absorbance range due to low stray light
• Low noise due to NMOS/InGaAs detector technology
• Fast scans due to high throughput transmission gratings
• Robustness for portability and field usage
• Low temperature dependence