An ultraviolet tunable light source (UV-TLS) is a valuable tool in studying the effectiveness of virus inactivation using UV radiation. UV-TLS can verify effective inactivation UV dosages at different wavelengths to help establish industrial UV safety standards and calibrate UV radiation sources.

We developed a high throughput UV-TLS to support research into methods of inactivating coronavirus, including the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The light source is powered by a laser-driven light source (LDLS™) with high UV wavelength brightness, superior stability, and a 10,000-hour lifetime. The UV-TLS covers the wavelength range from 200 nm to 770 nm and has a fiber-coupled output. Advanced design features include: (1) all reflective optics for aberrationfree light coupling; (2) a high-efficiency UV grating blazed at 250 nm; (3) fiber-coupled output with a 600 μm core diameter deep-UV fiber for application flexibility.

Measured data shows that the UV-TLS achieved an in-band flux of 0.98 mW with an averaged FWHM of 4.3 nm in the 200 nm to 400 nm range, using the 600 μm fiber. The averaged in-band flux reaches 2.9 mW for free-space output with an averaged FWHM of 7.2 nm.

Advantages of the newly developed UV-TLS are relatively higher in-band flux, UV light output at any wavelength from 200 nm to 400 nm, and the flexibility of a fiber light delivery. The bandwidth of UV output flux can be adjusted by selecting different monochromator slit sizes.

Optical sensors are quickly evolving to meet the fast-paced demands of smartphones and mobile devices. These increasingly sophisticated sensors include multi-channel ambient light sensors and integrated sensor modules, with continuous improvements in sensor sensitivity, accuracy, and dynamic range performance. With billions of devices manufactured per year, test throughput, repeatability, stability, and accuracy are critical to success. Current production test systems use traditional sources (bulbs or individual LEDs) or multiple LED based simulation systems, but these have limitations (high variability, insufficient throughput, and low resolution) making them unable to efficiently meet the test needs of the advanced optical sensors being developed and deployed.

We explore the system architecture of a novel high fidelity light source capable of creating, matching, and replicating spectra over the wavelength range of 380 to 780nm with 4.5nm FWHM resolution. This capability gives the ability to generate a near-infinite number of spectra ranging from incandescent to a highly structured source such as a compact fluorescent lamp. The system integrates a high brightness Laser Driven Light Source™ and a proprietary high throughput spectral light engine to achieve the needed repeatability, stability, and dynamic range performance.

The instrument was developed with automated test in mind and offers an easy-to-use application interface for system configuration, output characterization, creation and matching of test spectra, and storage of matched spectra to the instrument. The embedded controller deploys application firmware with onboard algorithms, data management, controls, system monitoring, a communications API, and a TTL interface for test system integration. Instrument architecture decisions and performance data such as repeatability, resolution, stability, and dynamic range will be presented.