New compact Echelle spectrographs with multichannel time-resolved recording capabilities

The paper describes a new type of Echelle spectrograph system that utilises a gated interline CCD camera. The system, that contains no moving parts, records simultaneously 6000 time-resolved spectral channels in the range 200-1100 nm with a lowest gate time of 100 ns and with a constant spectral resolution. Results from time-resolved recordings made both from a Xe-flash source and from laser induced breakdown, are presented. It is concluded that the gated CCD sensors are of great interest for applications in spectroscopy. They are of special interest for the application with Echelle spectrographs. The high resolution of the gatable CCD with 6.7 x 6.7 mu m(2) surpasses that of any ICCD today and in the foreseeable future. The gated CCD also opens the NIR wavelength region for time-resolved multichannel spectroscopy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.