Facility for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using uniform sources

Uncertainty budget for detector-based absolute radiometric calibration with GLAMR

The accuracy of the absolute radiometric calibration (RadCal) for remote sensing instruments is essential to their wide range of applications. The uncertainty associated with the traditional source-based RadCal method is assessed at a 2% (k=1) or higher level for radiance measurement. To further improve the accuracy to meet the demands of climate studies, a detector-based approach using tunable lasers as a light source has been devised. The Goddard Laser for Absolute Measurement of Radiance, known as the GLAMR system, is a notable example of the incorporation of such technology. Using transfer radiometers calibrated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology as calibration standards, the absolute spectral response function of a remote sensing instrument is measured with its uncertainty traceable to the International System of Units. This paper presents a comprehensive uncertainty analysis of the detector-based absolute RadCal using the GLAMR system. It identifies and examines uncertainty sources during the GLAMR RadCal test, including those from the GLAMR system, the testing configuration, and data processing methodologies. Analysis is carried out to quantify the contribution of each source and emphasize the most influential factors. It is shown that the calibration uncertainty of GLAMR RadCal can be better than 0.3% (k=1) in the wavelength range of 350-950 nm and 0.6% (k=1) between 950 and 2300 nm, with the exception of regions with strong water absorption. In addition, recommendations are made to refine the calibration process to further reduce the uncertainty.

Band-Averaged Response Sensitivity Study of an Imaging Spectrometer for the CLARREO Pathfinder Mission

Prelaunch absolute, SI-traceable radiometric calibration of satellite-based sensors is key to ensuring the utility of imaging spectrometer-based data products. The development of detector-based calibration techniques leads to the feasibility of meeting the 0.3% uncertainty level needed to provide climate quality data sets. Detector-based calibration is a method in which a well-understood and stable transfer radiometer is calibrated in a standards laboratory to SI-traceable standards, and transported to a facility calibrating a sensor of interest. The transfer radiometer provides the calibration of the source used in the radiometric calibration. A detector-based calibration approach is part of the prelaunch calibration of the CLARREO (Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory) Pathfinder (CPF) sensor with the Goddard Laser for Absolute Measurement of Radiance (GLAMR) system. The SI-traceability of GLAMR is through the electric watt as part of the absolute radiometric calibration of the detectors at the National Institute of Standards and Technology using the Primary Optical Watt Radiometer. The current work uses GLAMR data collected with a visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer calibration demonstration system to develop a source/sensor modeled calibration data set as part of a sensitivity study to evaluate uncertainties from the spectral sampling and processing methods that accompany the GLAMR calibration process. The spectral “supersets” include realistic instrumental features as well as effects from the GLAMR source. The methods needed to ensure that spurious sensor and GLAMR data are excluded are described. Results are given from the sensitivity study related to GLAMR spectral sampling and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) effects, sensor integration time, and frame averaging of the imaging spectrometer data. The study shows that the 6 nm bandwidth sensor simulation requires a 1 nm spectral sampling of the GLAMR source with a radiance level that provides an in-band peak SNR > 200 to ensure that climate quality accuracies can be achieved. The results are also used to refine the test plan for the independent calibration for the CLARREO Pathfinder sensor calibration to optimize test time while meeting the required accuracy levels.

Absolute Radiometric Calibration of an Imaging Spectroradiometer Using a Laboratory Detector-Based Approach

The HyperSpectral Imager for Climate Science (HySICS) is the core instrument of the Climate Absolute Refractivity and Reflectance Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder (CPF) mission and is currently scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. HySICS is an Offner–Chrisp imaging spectrometer designed to meet an unprecedented radiometric uncertainty requirement of 0.3% (k = 1) over its entire spectral range of 350–2300 nm. The approach represents the need for significant improvement over the Radiometric Calibration (RadCal) of existing space-borne spectrometers. One strategy to demonstrate that HySICS achieves this level of accuracy is through an Independent Calibration (IndCal) effort that can provide an alternative referencing RadCal, which follows a traceability chain independent of the operational RadCal of ratioing approach. The IndCal relies on a pre-launch detector-based absolute RadCal of HySICS, using a tunable laser system as source, and the system planned for the HySICS absolute RadCal is the Goddard Laser for Absolute Measurement of Radiance (GLAMR). GLAMR was developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and has been used to calibrate multiple operational remote sensing instruments, as well as the SOlar, Lunar Absolute Reflectance Imaging Spectroradiometer (SOLARIS), a calibration demonstration system developed for the CLARREO mission. In this work, the data of SOLARIS GLAMR RadCal conducted in 2019 are processed to derive the Absolute Spectral Response (ASR) functions and other key characterization parameters of SOLARIS detectors. The results are further analyzed with the goals to plan the HySICS GLAMR RadCal, in particular to optimize its configuration, to demonstrate the traceability route to the NIST standard, and to develop the error budget of the calibration approach. The SOLARIS calibration is also compared with other source- and detector-based calibrations to validate the absolute radiometric accuracy achieved.

Pyroelectric detector-based method for low uncertainty spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations in the infrared using tunable lasers

The standard uncertainty of detector-based radiance and irradiance responsivity calibrations in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) traditionally has been limited to around 1% or higher by the poor spatial uniformity of detectors used to transfer the scale from radiant power. Pyroelectric detectors offer a solution that avoids the spatial uniformity uncertainty but also introduces additional complications due to alternating current (AC) measurement techniques. Herein, a new, to the best of our knowledge, method for low uncertainty irradiance responsivity calibrations in the SWIR is presented. An absolute spectral irradiance responsivity scale was placed on two pyroelectric detectors (PED) at wavelengths λ from 500 to 3400 nm. The total combined uncertainty (k=1) was ≈0.28% (>1000nm), 0.44% (900 nm), and 0.36% (≈950nm and <900nm) for PED #1 and 0.34% (>1000nm), 0.48% (900 nm), and 0.42% (≈950nm and <900nm) for PED #2. This was done by utilizing a demodulation technique to digitally analyze the time-dependent AC waveforms, which obviates the use of lock-in amplifiers and avoids associated additional uncertainty components.

Measuring the spectral response of a division-of-focal-plane polarization imager using a grating monochromator

Spectral characterizations are performed on imagers to obtain a relative spectral response (RSR) curve. This process often utilizes a grating monochromator with an output that changes polarization as a function of wavelength (our monochromator's degree of linear polarization was found to vary from less than 10% to more than 70%). When characterizing a polarization-sensitive imager, this introduces polarization artifacts into the RSR curve. We present a simple method to avoid these polarization artifacts for division-of-focal-plane polarization imagers by directly illuminating the camera with the monochromator output and calculating the S₀ Stokes parameter at each super pixel, then we show consistent results from this method for two division-of-focal-plane polarization imagers. We also show that ignoring the monochromator polarization results in order-of-magnitude RSR errors. The recommended method uses an iris to limit the spatial extent of the monochromator output, which was found experimentally to increase the minimum signal-to-noise ratio by more than a factor of 2.

Practical Chemical Actinometry-A Review

Actinometers are physical or chemical systems that can be employed to determine photon fluxes. Chemical actinometers are photochemical systems with known quantum yields that can be employed to determine accurate photon fluxes for specific photochemical reactions. This review explores in detail several practical chemical actinometers (ferrioxalate, iodide-iodate, uranyl oxalate, nitrate, uridine, hydrogen peroxide and several actinometers for the vacuum ultraviolet). Each actinometer is described with recommended conditions for its use.

Opto-mechanical design and calibration of a hyperspectral irradiance monitor

A hyperspectral irradiance monitor (HIM) is designed to measure the direct solar spectral irradiance on the ground, which can be used for research on climate change and vicarious calibration. The spectrometer uses a Féry prism to disperse and converge light, and a linear image sensor (NMOS) measures the spectral irradiance ranging from 400 nm to 1100 nm. The instrument utilizes two flat mirrors to fold the optical path, and optical software is used to optimize the key parameters. The dispersion equation of the prism and two characteristic wavelengths of the laser are utilized for the spectral calibration, for which the uncertainty of the spectral calibration is less than 0.8 nm. A standard lamp is used for the spectral irradiance calibration, for which the uncertainty of the spectral irradiance calibration is less than 2.78% (k=2). The instrument runs stably in the field.

Eliminating the middleman: ultraviolet scale realization using a laser-driven plasma light source

After we replaced the argon mini-arc with a laser-driven light source in the Ultraviolet Spectral Comparator Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we realized that the optical power should be sufficient to use the comparator system for absolute-cryogenic radiometry. Calibrating working standard detectors directly against an absolute-cryogenic radiometer in the system used for calibrations would eliminate all uncertainties resulting from the use of transfer standards, which were calibrated in a separate system using a different light source and optics. The transfer standards are the middlemen we refer to in the title. Any uncertainty caused by differences in bandpass, out-off-band radiation, spectral purity, collimation, or data interpolation would be removed. In the end, we successfully set up a twin system resembling the Ultraviolet Spectral Comparator Facility and used this system to perform a primary calibration of several photodiodes, based on an absolute-cryogenic radiometer. Using this system, we were able to reduce relative standard uncertainties at wavelengths below 220 nm from above 1 % (k=1) to below 0.5%. We refer to this system as the Ultraviolet Scale Realization Facility or UV-SRF.

Miniaturized integrating sphere light sources based on LEDs for radiance responsivity calibration of optical imaging microscopes

LED-based integrating sphere light sources (LED-ISLSs) in the size of typical microscope slides were developed to calibrate the radiance responsivity of optical imaging microscopes. Each LED-ISLS consists of a miniaturized integrating sphere with a diameter of 4 mm, an LED chip integrated on a printed circuit board, and a thin circular aperture with a diameter of 1 mm as the exit port. The non-uniformity of the radiant exitance of the LED-ISLSs was evaluated to be 0.8%. The normal radiance of the LED-ISLSs in the range of (5∼69) W m^-2 sr^-1 was measured with a standard uncertainty of 1.3% using two precision apertures and a standard silicon photodetector whose spectral responsivity is traceable to an absolute cryogenic radiometer. The LED-ISLSs were applied to calibrate the radiance responsivity of a home-built optical imaging microscope with a standard uncertainty of 2.6∼2.9%. The LED-ISLSs offer a practical way to calibrate the radiance responsivity of various optical imaging microscopes for results comparison and information exchange.

A method for spectral irradiance measurement based on a large area WC-C fixed point blackbody

We have proposed a novel method for the spectral irradiance measurement of the standard lamp. The measurement has been realized by using national primary scale based on a large area WC-C fixed point blackbody for the first time. The wavelength range is from 450 nm to 1000 nm. The spectral irradiance of the standard lamp has been measured based on the traditional variable temperature blackbody and large area WC-C fixed point blackbody. The results of the two methods agree within the uncertainties. Compared with the traditional measurement method, the fixed point method can reduce the major component of the spectral irradiance measurement uncertainty related to the temperature measurement.

Characterization of FIREFLY, an Imaging Spectrometer Designed for Remote Sensing of Solar Induced Fluorescence

Solar induced fluorescence (SIF) is an ecological variable of interest to remote sensing retrievals, as it is directly related to vegetation composition and condition. FIREFLY (fluorescence imaging of red and far-red light yield) is a high performance spectrometer for estimating SIF. FIREFLY was flown in conjunction with NASA Goddard's lidar, hyperspectral, and thermal (G-LiHT) instrument package in 2017, as a technology demonstration for airborne retrievals of SIF. Attributes of FIREFLY relevant to SIF retrieval, including detector response and linearity; full-width at half maximum (FWHM); stray light; dark current; and shot noise were characterized with a combination of observations from Goddard's laser for absolute measurement of radiance calibration facility; an integrating sphere; controlled acquisitions of known targets; in-flight acquisitions; and forward modelling. FWHM, stray light, and dark current were found to be of acceptable magnitude, and characterized to within acceptable limits for SIF retrieval. FIREFLY observations were found to represent oxygen absorption features, along with a large number of solar absorption features. Shot noise was acceptable for direct SIF retrievals at native resolution, but indirect SIF retrievals from absorption features would require spatial aggregation, or repeated observations of targets.

Radiometric characterisation of light sources used in analytical chemistry - A review

Light sources are an indispensable component of an overwhelmingly large number of analytical methods. Radiometric characterisation of light sources in analytical chemistry is therefore of fundamental importance. This review presents up to date knowledge on methods to characterise radiometric properties of light sources in terms of radiometric power, irradiance, brightness, luminous efficacy, luminous efficiency and emission spectra, all of which are crucial parameters for their use in analytical chemistry. Special attention is paid to radiometric characterisation of new generations of light sources with focus on miniaturised and low-cost light sources suitable for portable analytical instrumentation. Miniaturised light sources, especially new generations of solid-state light sources including solution processable quantum dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs) as well as conventional LEDs and lasers, are radiometrically characterised through various spectrophotometric, actinometric as well as new facile radiometric methods. Although the areas of analytical use of new light sources including QLEDs, OLEDs as well as other important light sources such as deep ultraviolet (DUV) and infrared LEDs in analytical chemistry are yet to reach their potential, their radiometric characterisation opens future options for their wider deployment in analytical chemistry.

National Institute of Standards and Technology transportable tunable ultraviolet laser irradiance facility for water pathogen inactivation

A method of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) for water pathogen inactivation effectiveness using tunable, narrowband laser light is described. A transportable tunable UV (TTUV) laser system for providing a known irradiance (μW/cm²) or dose (mJ/cm²) suitable for irradiating water samples in Petri dishes over the wavelength range of 210 nm-300 nm was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The TTUV facility, consisting of a 1 kHz pulsed UV laser and light-tight enclosure containing the optics necessary to uniformly irradiate a water sample, was used in a microbiology laboratory to dose drinking water pathogens and surrogates as part of a Water Research Foundation study in the summer and fall of 2012. The approach demonstrated improved accuracy and simplified spectral analysis over conventional pathogen inactivation sources consisting of broadband UV sources and bandpass filters. In this work, the TTUV facility design and key components are described, including modifications in the field to provide the required irradiance levels. The irradiance and dose levels produced by the tunable UV laser during the project are also presented. The transportability of the TTUV system enabled it to be brought to a microbiology facility allowing the water samples (microbial suspensions) to be irradiated in a location with experienced staff and facilities for preparing, handling, analyzing, storing, and shipping the many samples studied. These results, published elsewhere, established that the tunable UV laser system provides unique UVGI capabilities for use with water pathogens and has applications for other pathogen experiments, for example, air-purification studies.

Effect of spectroradiometer characteristics on chromaticity for tricolor laser light sources

The errors in the output of chromaticity coordinates (u^',v^') by two spectroradiometers caused by spectral resolution limitations, wavelength variations, and nonlinearity were investigated with three tricolor laser light sources, namely two white light sources and one red light source. Using these sources, we found chromaticity coordinate changes of up to 0.0002 due to a 3.2 nm spectral resolution, 0.0010 due to a 0.6 nm wavelength error, and 0.0091 due to 24% nonlinearity. These chromaticity errors demonstrate that wavelength and nonlinearity calibrations are of great importance when using a spectroradiometer to evaluate the color of a tricolor laser-based light source. Evaluating chromaticity errors due to these spectroradiometer characteristics can help us to obtain accurate color measurements for imaging and display devices based on tricolor laser light sources.

Stability of device responsivity in silicon photodiodes under cryogenic conditions

Long-term changes in the responsivity of unbiased silicon photodiodes were observed when operating at the temperature of 90 K. The change manifested as a monotonic increase in current output for a fixed optical power input. The current output has been observed to increase by 20% or more relative to room-temperature output. In all trials, the effect was fully reversed upon returning to room temperature. Analysis of spectrally resolved data showed that the effect is due to formation of a contaminant thin film, of as-yet-unknown composition.

Invited Article: Advances in tunable laser-based radiometric calibration applications at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA

Recent developments at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's facility for Spectral Irradiance and Radiance responsivity Calibrations using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) are presented. The facility is predicated on the use of broadly tunable narrow-band lasers as light sources in two key radiometric calibration applications. In the first application, the tunable lasers are used to calibrate the spectral power responsivities of primary standard detectors against an absolute cryogenic radiometer (ACR). The second function is to calibrate the absolute radiance and irradiance responsivities of detectors with uniform light sources, typically generated by coupling the laser light into integrating spheres. The radiant flux from the uniform sources is determined by the ACR-calibrated primary standard detectors. Together these sources and detectors are used to transfer radiometric scales to a variety of optical instruments with low uncertainties. We describe methods for obtaining the stable, uniform light sources required for low uncertainty measurements along with advances in laser sources that facilitate tuning over broader wavelength ranges. Example applications include the development of a detector-based thermodynamic temperature scale, the calibration and characterization of spectrographs, and the use of a traveling version of SIRCUS (T-SIRCUS) to calibrate large aperture Earth observing instruments and astronomical telescopes.

Ultra-portable field transfer radiometer for vicarious calibration of earth imaging sensors

A small portable transfer radiometer has been developed as part of an effort to ensure the quality of upwelling radiance from test sites used for vicarious calibration in the solar reflective. The test sites are used to predict top-of-atmosphere reflectance relying on ground-based measurements of the atmosphere and surface. The portable transfer radiometer is designed for one-person operation for on-site field calibration of instrumentation used to determine ground-leaving radiance. The current work describes the detector- and source-based radiometric calibration of the transfer radiometer highlighting the expected accuracy and SI-traceability. The results indicate differences between the detector-based and source-based results greater than the combined uncertainties of the approaches. Results from recent field deployments of the transfer radiometer using a solar radiation based calibration agree with the source-based laboratory calibration within the combined uncertainties of the methods. The detector-based results show a significant difference to the solar-based calibration. The source-based calibration is used as the basis for a radiance-based calibration of the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager that agrees with the OLI calibration to within the uncertainties of the methods.

Monochromatic measurements of the JPSS-1 VIIRS polarization sensitivity

Polarization sensitivity is a critical property that must be characterized for spaceborne remote sensing instruments designed to measure reflected solar radiation. Broadband testing of the first Joint Polar-orbiting Satellite System (JPSS-1) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) showed unexpectedly large polarization sensitivities for the bluest bands on VIIRS (centered between 400 and 600 nm). Subsequent ray trace modeling indicated that large diattenuation on the edges of the bandpass for these spectral bands was the driver behind these large sensitivities. Additional testing using the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Traveling Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations Using Uniform Sources was added to the test program to verify and enhance the model. The testing was limited in scope to two spectral bands at two scan angles; nonetheless, this additional testing provided valuable insight into the polarization sensitivity. Analysis has shown that the derived diattenuation agreed with the broadband measurements to within an absolute difference of about 0.4% and that the ray trace model reproduced the general features of the measured data. Additionally, by deriving the spectral responsivity, the linear diattenuation is shown to be explicitly dependent on the changes in bandwidth with polarization state.

Refined treatment of single-edge diffraction effects in radiometry

This work treats diffraction corrections in radiometry for cases of point and extended sources in cylindrically symmetrical three-element systems. It considers diffraction effects for spectral power and total power in cases of Planck sources. It improves upon an earlier work by the author by giving a simpler rendering of leading terms in asymptotic expansions for diffraction effects and reliable estimates for the remainders. This work also demonstrates a framework for accelerating the treatment of extended sources and simplifying the calculation of diffraction effects over a range of wavelengths. This is especially important in the short-wavelength region, where dense sampling of wavelength values is in principle necessitated by the rapidly oscillatory behavior of diffraction effects as a function of wavelength. We demonstrate the methodology's efficacy in two radiometric applications.

Towards high-accuracy primary spectral radiometry from 400 K to 1300 K

We describe the design, construction, calibration and use of a near-infrared thermodynamic radiation thermometer to measure blackbodies from 400 K to 1300 K. The motivation for this work is the pending redefinition of the kelvin and the need for direct, thermodynamic temperature measurements of the fixed-point blackbodies presently used in the realization of the temperature scale. The challenges of accurately measuring Planck radiances which vary greatly in radiance level and spectral shape are discussed. Methods to characterize the components used in the radiation thermometer design are described. The use of this radiation thermometer as a relative primary thermometer and the resulting residuals are shown. We describe radiometric calibration procedures for using the radiation thermometer as an absolute primary thermometer. Preliminary data showing the initial radiometric calibration steps are discussed.

Switched integration amplifier-based photocurrent meter for accurate spectral responsivity measurement of photometers

This work introduces a switched integration amplifier (SIA)-based photocurrent meter for femtoampere (fA)-level current measurement, which enables us to measure a 10⁷ dynamic range of spectral responsivity of photometers even with a common lamp-based monochromatic light source. We described design considerations and practices about operational amplifiers (op-amps), switches, readout methods, etc., to compose a stable SIA of low offset current in terms of leakage current and gain peaking in detail. According to the design, we made six SIAs of different integration capacitance and different op-amps and evaluated their offset currents. They showed an offset current of (1.5-85) fA with a slow variation of (0.5-10) fA for an hour under opened input. Applying a detector to the SIA input, the offset current and its variation were increased and the SIA readout became noisier due to finite shunt resistance and nonzero shunt capacitance of the detector. One of the SIAs with 10 pF nominal capacitance was calibrated using a calibrated current source at the current level of 10 nA to 1 fA and at the integration time of 2 to 65,536 ms. As a result, we obtained a calibration formula for integration capacitance as a function of integration time rather than a single capacitance value because the SIA readout showed a distinct dependence on integration time at a given current level. Finally, we applied it to spectral responsivity measurement of a photometer. It is demonstrated that the home-made SIA of 10 pF was capable of measuring a 10⁷ dynamic range of spectral responsivity of a photometer.

Research on calibration method of relative infrared radiometer

The Relative Infrared Radiometer (RIR) is commonly used to measure the irradiance of the Infrared Target Simulator (ITS), and the calibration of the RIR is central for the measurement accuracy. RIR calibration is conventionally performed using the Radiance Based (RB) calibration method or Irradiance Based (IB) calibration method, and the relationship between the radiation of standard source and the response of RIR is determined by curve fitting. One limitation existing in the calibration of RIR is the undesirable calibration voltage fluctuation in single measurement or in the reproducibility measurement, which reduces the calibration reproducibility and irradiance measurement accuracy. To address this limitation, the Equivalent Blackbody Temperature Based (EBTB) calibration method is proposed for the calibration of RIR. The purpose of this study is to compare the proposed EBTB calibration method with conventional RB and IB calibration methods. The comparison and experiment results have shown that the EBTB calibration method is not only able to provide comparable correlation between radiation and response to other calibration methods (IB and RB) in the irradiance measurement but also reduces the influence of calibration voltage fluctuation on the irradiance measurement result, which improves the calibration reproducibility and irradiance measurement accuracy.

Comparison of two methodologies for calibrating satellite instruments in the visible and near-infrared

Traditionally, satellite instruments that measure Earth-reflected solar radiation in the visible and near infrared wavelength regions have been calibrated for radiance responsivity in a two-step method. In the first step, the relative spectral response (RSR) of the instrument is determined using a nearly monochromatic light source such as a lamp-illuminated monochromator. These sources do not typically fill the field of view of the instrument nor act as calibrated sources of light. Consequently, they only provide a relative (not absolute) spectral response for the instrument. In the second step, the instrument views a calibrated source of broadband light, such as a lamp-illuminated integrating sphere. The RSR and the sphere's absolute spectral radiance are combined to determine the absolute spectral radiance responsivity (ASR) of the instrument. More recently, a full-aperture absolute calibration approach using widely tunable monochromatic lasers has been developed. Using these sources, the ASR of an instrument can be determined in a single step on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis. From these monochromatic ASRs, the responses of the instrument bands to broadband radiance sources can be calculated directly, eliminating the need for calibrated broadband light sources such as lamp-illuminated integrating spheres. In this work, the traditional broadband source-based calibration of the Suomi National Preparatory Project Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite sensor is compared with the laser-based calibration of the sensor. Finally, the impact of the new full-aperture laser-based calibration approach on the on-orbit performance of the sensor is considered.

Contributed Review: Absolute spectral radiance calibration of fiber-optic shock-temperature pyrometers using a coiled-coil irradiance standard lamp

We describe an accurate and precise calibration procedure for multichannel optical pyrometers such as the 6-channel, 3-ns temporal resolution instrument used in the Caltech experimental geophysics laboratory. We begin with a review of calibration sources for shock temperatures in the 3000-30,000 K range. High-power, coiled tungsten halogen standards of spectral irradiance appear to be the only practical alternative to NIST-traceable tungsten ribbon lamps, which are no longer available with large enough calibrated area. However, non-uniform radiance complicates the use of such coiled lamps for reliable and reproducible calibration of pyrometers that employ imaging or relay optics. Careful analysis of documented methods of shock pyrometer calibration to coiled irradiance standard lamps shows that only one technique, not directly applicable in our case, is free of major radiometric errors. We provide a detailed description of the modified Caltech pyrometer instrument and a procedure for its absolute spectral radiance calibration, accurate to ±5%. We employ a designated central area of a 0.7× demagnified image of a coiled-coil tungsten halogen lamp filament, cross-calibrated against a NIST-traceable tungsten ribbon lamp. We give the results of the cross-calibration along with descriptions of the optical arrangement, data acquisition, and processing. We describe a procedure to characterize the difference between the static and dynamic response of amplified photodetectors, allowing time-dependent photodiode correction factors for spectral radiance histories from shock experiments. We validate correct operation of the modified Caltech pyrometer with actual shock temperature experiments on single-crystal NaCl and MgO and obtain very good agreement with the literature data for these substances. We conclude with a summary of the most essential requirements for error-free calibration of a fiber-optic shock-temperature pyrometer using a high-power coiled tungsten halogen irradiance standard lamp.

High-resolution setup for measuring wavelength sensitivity of photoyellowing of translucent materials

Polystyrene and many other materials turn yellow when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. All photodegradation mechanisms including photoyellowing are functions of the exposure wavelength, which can be described with an action spectrum. In this work, a new high-resolution transmittance measurement setup based on lasers has been developed for measuring color changes, such as the photoyellowing of translucent materials aged with a spectrograph. The measurement setup includes 14 power-stabilized laser lines between 325 nm and 933 nm wavelengths, of which one at a time is directed on to the aged sample. The power transmitted through the sample is measured with a silicon detector utilizing an integrating sphere. The sample is mounted on a high-resolution XY translation stage. Measurement at various locations aged with different wavelengths of exposure radiation gives the transmittance data required for acquiring the action spectrum. The combination of a UV spectrograph and the new high-resolution transmittance measurement setup enables a novel method for studying the UV-induced ageing of translucent materials with a spectral resolution of 3-8 nm, limited by the adjustable spectral bandwidth range of the spectrograph. These achievements form a significant improvement over earlier methods.

Argon mini-arc meets its match: use of a laser-driven plasma source in ultraviolet-detector calibrations

The National Institute of Standards and Technology operates two spectral comparator facilities, both of which are used to provide detector calibrations from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared spectral range. One, the Ultraviolet Spectral Comparator Facility (UV SCF), has been in operation for more than two decades, providing one of the core calibration services. Recently, the illumination source used in the UV SCF has been changed from an argon mini-arc source to a laser-driven plasma light source. This new source has higher brightness, a smaller source size, better temporal stability, and much better conversion efficiency than the previous source. The improvements in the capabilities are summarized.

GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager: spectral response functions and radiometric biases with the NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite evaluated for desert calibration sites

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which will be launched in late 2015 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-series satellite, will be evaluated in terms of its data quality postlaunch through comparisons with other satellite sensors such as the recently launched Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. The ABI has completed much of its prelaunch characterization and its developers have generated and released its channel spectral response functions (response versus wavelength). Using these responses and constraining a radiative transfer model with ground reflectance, aerosol, and water vapor measurements, we simulate observed top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectances for analogous visible and near infrared channels of the VIIRS and ABI sensors at the Sonoran Desert and White Sands National Monument sites and calculate the radiometric biases and their uncertainties. We also calculate sensor TOA reflectances using aircraft hyperspectral data from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer to validate the uncertainties in several of the ABI and VIIRS channels and discuss the potential for validating the others. Once on-orbit, calibration scientists can use these biases to ensure ABI data quality and consistency to support the numerical weather prediction community and other data users. They can also use the results for ABI or VIIRS anomaly detection and resolution.

Absolute instrument spectral response measurements using angle-resolved parametric fluorescence

The broadband parametric fluorescence from a nonlinear crystal can be used as a compact primary source instead of a blackbody for absolute measurements of instrument spectral efficiency. We describe such a setup for measuring the instrument spectral response function in the wavelength range from 450 to 1000 nm. We perform angle-resolved imaging spectroscopy of conical parametric fluorescence in a beta-barium borate crystal pumped by a 405-nm diode laser. The experimental angle-resolved spectra and the generation efficiency of parametric down-conversion agree with a plane-wave theoretical analysis.

Absolute spectral responsivity measurements of solar cells by a hybrid optical technique

An irradiance mode, absolute differential spectral response measurement system for solar cells is presented. The system is based on combining the monochromator-based approach of determining the power mode spectral responsivity of cells with an LED-based measurement to construct a curve representing the light-overfilled absolute spectral response of the entire cell. This curve can be used to predict the short-circuit current (I(sc)) of the cell under the AM 1.5 standard reference spectrum. The measurement system is SI-traceable via detectors with primary calibrations linked to the NIST absolute cryogenic radiometer. An uncertainty analysis of the methodology places the relative uncertainty of the calculated I(sc) at better than ±0.8%.

Measurement of normalized spectral responsivity of digital imaging devices by using a LED-based tunable uniform source

We present an instrumentation solution for measurement of normalized spectral responsivity of digital imaging sensors and cameras. The instrument consists of multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a single-grating monochromator, and a small-size integrating sphere. Wavelength tuning is achieved by a proper selection of LED in accordance with the monochromator setting in a range from 380 to 900 nm. High spectral purity with a bandwidth of 5 nm is realized without using double gratings and order-sorting filters. Experimental characteristics and calibration of the instrument are described with the related error and uncertainty sources. The performance is demonstrated by measuring a monochrome charge-coupled device and a trichromatic complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device. The measurement uncertainty is evaluated to be less than 1% (k=2) except several wavelengths with low LED power.

Lunar Spectral Irradiance and Radiance (LUSI): New Instrumentation to Characterize the Moon as a Space-Based Radiometric Standard

The need to understand and monitor climate change has led to proposed radiometric accuracy requirements for space-based remote sensing instruments that are very stringent and currently outside the capabilities of many Earth orbiting instruments. A major problem is quantifying changes in sensor performance that occur from launch and during the mission. To address this problem on-orbit calibrators and monitors have been developed, but they too can suffer changes from launch and the harsh space environment. One solution is to use the Moon as a calibration reference source. Already the Moon has been used to remove post-launch drift and to cross-calibrate different instruments, but further work is needed to develop a new model with low absolute uncertainties capable of climate-quality absolute calibration of Earth observing instruments on orbit. To this end, we are proposing an Earth-based instrument suite to measure the absolute lunar spectral irradiance to an uncertainty(1) of 0.5 % (k=1) over the spectral range from 320 nm to 2500 nm with a spectral resolution of approximately 0.3 %. Absolute measurements of lunar radiance will also be acquired to facilitate calibration of high spatial resolution sensors. The instruments will be deployed at high elevation astronomical observatories and flown on high-altitude balloons in order to mitigate the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on the lunar observations. Periodic calibrations using instrumentation and techniques available from NIST will ensure traceability to the International System of Units (SI) and low absolute radiometric uncertainties.

Versatile light-emitting-diode-based spectral response measurement system for photovoltaic device characterization

An absolute differential spectral response measurement system for solar cells is presented. The system couples an array of light emitting diodes with an optical waveguide to provide large area illumination. Two unique yet complementary measurement methods were developed and tested with the same measurement apparatus. Good agreement was observed between the two methods based on testing of a variety of solar cells. The first method is a lock-in technique that can be performed over a broad pulse frequency range. The second method is based on synchronous multifrequency optical excitation and electrical detection. An innovative scheme for providing light bias during each measurement method is discussed.

Stray light correction algorithm for multichannel hyperspectral spectrographs

An algorithm is presented that corrects a multichannel fiber-coupled spectrograph for stray or scattered light within the system. The efficacy of the algorithm is evaluated based on a series of validation measurements of sources with different spectral distributions. This is the first application of a scattered-light correction algorithm to a multichannel hyperspectral spectrograph. The algorithm, based on characterization measurements using a tunable laser system, can be extended to correct for finite point-spread response in imaging systems.

Spectral calibration of radiometric detectors using tunable laser sources

This paper describes the analysis of laser-based responsivity measurements using the Tunable Lasers in Photometry setup at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. An approach based on digital signal analysis is proposed to remove interference-caused oscillations in highly resolved spectral data from laser-based measurements, yielding an improved reproducibility and comparability of results. Digital filters are used to selectively suppress the frequency components of interference fringes visible in the measurement data. We describe the algorithm used and discuss the associated uncertainty components of laser-based measurements. Finally, we give examples of the calibration of different detectors with and without interference effects.

Accurate radiometry from space: an essential tool for climate studies

The Earth's climate is undoubtedly changing; however, the time scale, consequences and causal attribution remain the subject of significant debate and uncertainty. Detection of subtle indicators from a background of natural variability requires measurements over a time base of decades. This places severe demands on the instrumentation used, requiring measurements of sufficient accuracy and sensitivity that can allow reliable judgements to be made decades apart. The International System of Units (SI) and the network of National Metrology Institutes were developed to address such requirements. However, ensuring and maintaining SI traceability of sufficient accuracy in instruments orbiting the Earth presents a significant new challenge to the metrology community. This paper highlights some key measurands and applications driving the uncertainty demand of the climate community in the solar reflective domain, e.g. solar irradiances and reflectances/radiances of the Earth. It discusses how meeting these uncertainties facilitate significant improvement in the forecasting abilities of climate models. After discussing the current state of the art, it describes a new satellite mission, called TRUTHS, which enables, for the first time, high-accuracy SI traceability to be established in orbit. The direct use of a 'primary standard' and replication of the terrestrial traceability chain extends the SI into space, in effect realizing a 'metrology laboratory in space'.

Differential spectral responsivity measurement of photovoltaic detectors with a light-emitting-diode-based integrating sphere source

We present an experimental realization of differential spectral responsivity measurement by using a light-emitting diode (LED)-based integrating sphere source. The spectral irradiance responsivity is measured by a Lambertian-like radiation field with a diameter of 40 mm at the peak wavelengths of the 35 selectable LEDs covering a range from 280 to 1550 nm. The systematic errors and uncertainties due to lock-in detection, spatial irradiance distribution, and reflection from the test detector are experimentally corrected or considered. In addition, we implemented a numerical procedure to correct the error due to the broad spectral bandwidth of the LEDs. The overall uncertainty of the DSR measurement is evaluated to be 2.2% (k = 2) for Si detectors. To demonstrate its application, we present the measurement results of two Si photovoltaic detectors at different bias irradiance levels up to 120 mW/cm(2).

Stray light characterization of an InGaAs anamorphic hyperspectral imager

Compact hyperspectral sensors potentially have a wide range of applications, including machine vision, quality control, and surveillance from small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With the development of Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) focal plane arrays, much of the Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) spectral regime can be accessed with a small hyperspectral imaging system, thereby substantially expanding hyperspectral sensing capabilities. To fully realize this potential, system performance must be well-understood. Here, stray light characterization of a recently-developed push-broom hyperspectral sensor sensitive in the 1 microm -1.7 microm spectral regime is described. The sensor utilizes anamorphic fore-optics that partially decouple image formation along the spatial and spectral axes of the instrument. This design benefits from a reduction in complexity over standard high-performance spectrometer optical designs while maintaining excellent aberration control and spatial and spectral distortion characteristics. The stray light performance characteristics of the anamorphic imaging spectrometer were measured using the spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using uniform sources (SIRCUS) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A description of the measurements and results are presented. Additionally, a stray-light matrix was assembled for the instrument to improve the instrument's spectral accuracy. Transmittance of a silicon wafer was measured to validate this approach.

Internal quantum efficiency modeling of silicon photodiodes

Results are presented for modeling of the shape of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) versus wavelength for silicon photodiodes in the 400 nm to 900 nm wavelength range. The IQE data are based on measurements of the external quantum efficiencies of three transmission optical trap detectors using an extensive set of laser wavelengths, along with the transmittance of the traps. We find that a simplified version of a previously reported IQE model fits the data with an accuracy of better than 0.01%. These results provide an important validation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) spectral radiant power responsivity scale disseminated through the NIST Spectral Comparator Facility, as well as those scales disseminated by other National Metrology Institutes who have employed the same model.

Absolute spectral radiance responsivity calibration of sun photometers

Sun photometers are designed to measure direct solar irradiance and diffused sky radiance for the purpose of atmospheric parameters characterization. A sun photometer is usually calibrated by using a lamp-illuminated integrating sphere source for its band-averaged radiance responsivity, which normally has an uncertainty of 3%-5% at present. Considering the calibration coefficients may also change with time, a regular high precision calibration is important to maintain data quality. In this paper, a tunable-laser-based facility for spectral radiance responsivity calibration has been developed at the Key Laboratory of Optical Calibration and Characterization, Chinese Academy of Sciences. A reference standard radiance radiometer, calibrated against cryogenic radiometer, is used to determine the radiance from a laser-illuminated integrating sphere source. Spectral radiance responsivity of CIMEL CE318-2 sun photometer is calibrated using this new calibration system with a combined standard uncertainty of about 0.8%. As a validation, the derived band-averaged radiance responsivity are compared to that from a Goddard Space Flight Center lamp-based sphere calibration and good agreements (difference <1.4%) are found from 675 to 1020 nm bands.

Ultraviolet characterization of integrating spheres

We have studied the performance of polytetrafluoroethylene integrating spheres in the ultraviolet (UV) region with wavelengths as short as 200 nm. Two techniques were used for this study; first, the spectral throughput of an integrating sphere irradiated by a deuterium lamp was analyzed by a monochromator. Second, a UV laser beam was directed into an integrating sphere, and spectrally dispersed laser induced fluorescence was studied. Significant absorption and fluorescence features were observed in the UV region and attributed to the contamination in the integrating sphere. We demonstrate that integrating spheres are easily contaminated by environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emitted from engine exhaust. Baking of the contaminated integrating sphere can reverse some but not all of the effects caused by contaminants. The implications for using integrating spheres for UV measurement are discussed.

Comparison of absolute spectral irradiance responsivity measurement techniques using wavelength-tunable lasers

Independent methods for measuring the absolute spectral irradiance responsivity of detectors have been compared between the calibration facilities at two national metrology institutes, the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Finland, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The emphasis is on the comparison of two different techniques for generating a uniform irradiance at a reference plane using wavelength-tunable lasers. At TKK's Laser Scanning Facility (LSF) the irradiance is generated by raster scanning a single collimated laser beam, while at the NIST facility for Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations with Uniform Sources (SIRCUS), lasers are introduced into integrating spheres to generate a uniform irradiance at a reference plane. The laser-based irradiance responsivity results are compared to a traditional lamp-monochromator-based irradiance responsivity calibration obtained at the NIST Spectral Comparator Facility (SCF). A narrowband filter radiometer with a 24 nm bandwidth and an effective band-center wavelength of 801 nm was used as the artifact. The results of the comparison between the different facilities, reported for the first time in the near-infrared wavelength range, demonstrate agreement at the uncertainty level of less than 0.1%. This result has significant implications in radiation thermometry and in photometry as well as in radiometry.

Thermodynamic-temperature determinations of the Ag and Au freezing temperatures using a detector-based radiation thermometer

The development of a radiation thermometer calibrated for spectral radiance responsivity using cryogenic, electrical-substitution radiometry to determine the thermodynamic temperatures of the Ag- and Au-freezing temperatures is described. The absolute spectral radiance responsivity of the radiation thermometer is measured in the NIST Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) facility with a total uncertainty of 0.15% (k=2) and is traceable to the electrical watt, and thus the thermodynamic temperature of any blackbody can be determined by using Planck radiation law and the measured optical power. The thermodynamic temperatures of the Ag- and Au-freezing temperatures are determined to be 1234.956 K (+/-0.110 K) (k=2) and 1337.344 K(+/-0.129 K) (k=2) differing from the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) assignments by 26 mK and 14 mK, respectively, within the stated uncertainties. The temperatures were systematically corrected for the size- of-source effect, the nonlinearity of the preamplifier and the emissivity of the blackbody. The ultimate goal of these thermodynamic temperature measurements is to disseminate temperature scales with lower uncertainties than those of the ITS-90. These results indicate that direct disseminations of thermodynamic temperature scales are possible.

High accuracy verification of a correlated-photon- based method for determining photoncounting detection efficiency

We have characterized an independent primary standard method to calibrate detection efficiency of photon-counting detectors based on twophoton correlations. We have verified this method and its uncertainty by comparing it to a substitution method using a conventionally calibrated transfer detector tied to a national primary standard detector scale. We obtained a relative standard uncertainty for the correlated-photon method of 0.18 % (k=1) and for the substitution method of 0.17 % (k=1). From a series of measurements we found that the two independent calibration techniques differ by 0.14 (14) %, which is within the established uncertainty of comparison. We believe this is the highest accuracy characterization and independent verification of the correlated-photon method yet achieved.