Variable resolution spectrometer

1. A variable resolution spectrometer, comprising:

an optical system configured to transform rays, including:

a diffraction grating,

a steering mirror,

a stage, and

an actuator configured to move one of the stage, diffraction grating, or steering mirror according to a movement regime to vary an incidence of the rays on the stage, the movement regime having a start position and an end position;

a sensor array disposed on the stage including a plurality of pixel columns, each pixel column having at least one pixel, wherein the sensor array is configured to receive the rays incident from the optical system at a plurality of measurement locations to obtain a plurality of ray spectra; and

a processor electrically connected to the sensor array, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the ray spectra,

interleave the ray spectra to yield an interleaved spectrum, and

deconvolve a point spread function corresponding to the optical system from the interleaved spectrum to yield a recovered digitized spectrum.

2. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a piezo-actuator, a servo motor, or a stepper motor.

3. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental translation, wherein:

the stage is translatably moved in one or more increments along a linear path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental linear distance that is less than a total linear distance between the start position and the end position.

4. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is continuous translation, wherein the stage is translatably moved substantially continuously along a linear path from the start position to the end position.

5. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental rotation, wherein:

the stage is rotatably moved in one or more increments along an arcuate path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental arc length that is less than a total arc length between the start position and the end position.

6. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is continuous rotation, wherein the stage is rotatably moved substantially continuously along an arcuate path from the start position to the end position.

7. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein two measurement locations in the plurality of measurement locations are separated by a distance less than a pixel breadth.

8. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array is a charge-coupled device.

9. The variable resolution spectrometer of claim 1 , wherein:

the diffraction grating is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental translation, wherein:

the diffraction grating is translatably moved in one or more increments along a linear path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental linear distance that is less than a total linear distance between the start position and the end position.

10. A method for recovering a digitized spectrum, comprising:

providing an optical system configured to transform rays, including:

a diffraction grating,

a steering mirror,

an actuator, and

a stage; and

executing a scan operation, the scan operation comprising:

moving, using the actuator, one of the stage, diffraction grating, or steering mirror according to a movement regime to vary an incidence of the rays on the stage, the movement regime having a start position and an end position, and

sensing, using a sensor array disposed on the stage including a plurality of pixel columns rays incident on the sensor array from the optical system at a plurality of measurement locations to obtain a plurality of ray spectra, wherein each of the pixel columns has at least one pixel; and

using a processor:

receiving the ray spectra,

interleaving the ray spectra to yield an interleaved spectrum, and

deconvolving a point spread function corresponding to the optical system from the interleaved spectrum to yield a recovered digitized spectrum.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is a piezo-actuator, a servo motor, or a stepper motor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental translation, wherein:

the stage is translatably moved in one or more increments along a linear path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental linear distance that is less than a total linear distance between the start position and the end position.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is continuous translation, wherein the stage is translatably moved substantially continuously along a linear path from the start position to the end position.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental rotation, wherein:

the stage is rotatably moved in one or more increments along an arcuate path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental arc length that is less than a total arc length between the start position and the end position.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the stage is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is continuous rotation, wherein the stage is rotatably moved substantially continuously along an arcuate path from the start position to the end position.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein two measurement locations in the plurality of measurement locations are separated by a distance less than a pixel breadth.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor array is a charge-coupled device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the diffraction grating is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is incremental translation, wherein:

the diffraction grating is translatably moved in one or more increments along a linear path from the start position to the end position, and

each of the increments has a start point and an end point separated by an incremental linear distance that is less than a total linear distance between the start position and the end position.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the diffraction grating is moved by the actuator; and

the movement regime is continuous translation, wherein the diffraction grating is translatably moved substantially continuously along a linear path from the start position to the end position.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising one or more programs for executing the following steps on one or more computing devices:

receive ray spectra obtained from rays incident on a sensor array including a plurality of pixel columns, each of the pixel columns having at least one pixel, wherein the sensor array is disposed on a stage from an optical system comprising the stage, a diffraction grating and a steering mirror, wherein the stage, diffraction grating, or steering mirror is moved, using an actuator according to a movement regime to vary the incidence of rays on the stage, and wherein the movement regime has a start position and an end position;

interleave the ray spectra to yield an interleaved spectrum; and

deconvolve a point spread function corresponding to the optical system from the interleaved spectrum to yield a recovered digitized spectrum.