IRsweep IRis-F1 User manual

User Manual
IRis-F1 spectrometer
ASC/PSC variants

2nd edition, publication date September 2019
Copyright © 2019 by IRsweep AG
Laubisrütistrasse 44, 8712 Stäfa, Switzerland
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents
1 Safety Instructions ..........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Instructions .............................................................................................................................1
1.2 Safety notes ............................................................................................................................1
1.3 Summary of possible hazards .................................................................................................2
1.4 Intended use ...........................................................................................................................3
1.5 Laser safety .............................................................................................................................3
1.6 Protective equipment .............................................................................................................4
1.7 Service contact........................................................................................................................4
2 General............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 IRis-F1 configurations..............................................................................................................5
2.2 IRis-F1 components.................................................................................................................5
2.2.1 Optical unit......................................................................................................................5
2.2.2 Laser module...................................................................................................................8
2.2.3 Electronic unit.................................................................................................................9
2.2.4 Control computer..........................................................................................................12
2.3 Optical beam path.................................................................................................................12
2.3.1 ASC variant....................................................................................................................12
2.3.2 PSC variant ....................................................................................................................13
2.3.3 Beam alignment............................................................................................................14
2.3.4 Sample compartment Accessories................................................................................14
3 Installation ....................................................................................................................................15
3.1 General information..............................................................................................................15
3.2 Contents of delivery..............................................................................................................15
3.3 Inspection of delivered goods...............................................................................................15
3.4 Transport of spectrometer....................................................................................................16
3.5 Installation requirements .....................................................................................................16
3.6 Connection of power supply.................................................................................................17
3.7 Connection of electronic cables............................................................................................17
3.8 Connection of ethernet cables..............................................................................................18
3.9 Connection of coolant cables................................................................................................19
3.10 Connection of purging ..........................................................................................................20
3.11 Connection of trigger (optional) ...........................................................................................20
3.12 Module placement and exchange.........................................................................................20
4 Operating Instructions ..................................................................................................................22
4.1 Before First Use.....................................................................................................................22

4.2 Control through the graphical user interface .......................................................................22
4.3 Turning the spectrometer on................................................................................................27
4.4 Turning the spectrometer off ...............................................................................................28
4.5 Carrying out a measurement ................................................................................................28
4.6 Command line interface........................................................................................................30
4.7 Data Transfer and Processing ...............................................................................................31
4.8 Use with accessories.............................................................................................................32
4.9 Misconfiguration and misuse................................................................................................32
5 Repair and maintenance...............................................................................................................34
5.1 General information..............................................................................................................34
5.2 Chiller fluid maintenance......................................................................................................34
5.3 Sample path re-alignment ....................................................................................................35
5.4 Reference path re-alignment................................................................................................36
5.5 Finding laser conditions ........................................................................................................37
5.6 Cleaning the spectrometer ...................................................................................................39
5.7 Software updates..................................................................................................................39
5.8 Troubleshooting and feedback to IRsweep ..........................................................................39
6 Technical specifications ................................................................................................................40
6.1 Spectrometer ........................................................................................................................40
6.2 Power supply.........................................................................................................................40
6.3 Purge gas supply ...................................................................................................................41
6.4 Environmental conditions for operation ..............................................................................41
7 Appendix .......................................................................................................................................42
7.1 Acquisition schemes..............................................................................................................42
7.2 Examples of laser states........................................................................................................42

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1Safety Instructions
1.1 Instructions
Read the following safety instructions carefully before putting the spectrometer into operation. Keep
this manual in a suitable place for future reference.
Always observe the instructions described in this manual to ensure user safety and to avoid property
damage. Improper use or failure to follow these safety instructions can result in serious injuries and/or
property damage. Any non-observance of the precautions will infringe the intended use (i.e.
performing spectroscopic measurements) of the spectrometer. In this case IRsweep AG will not
assume any liability.
It is the operator’s duty to plan and implement all necessary safety measures and to supervise their
observance. Moreover, the operator must ensure that the spectrometer is in proper functioning
condition. A safe and faultless operation can only be guaranteed if the spectrometer is transported,
stored, installed, operated and maintained properly according to the procedures described in this
manual.
Never remove or deactivate any supporting safety systems during spectrometer operation. Ensure
that objects and/or material not required for the measurement are out of the spectrometer operating
area.
The spectrometer complies with following norms:
•IEC 60825-1:2014, Safety of laser products
•IEC 61326-1:2012, Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - EMC
requirements
•IEC 61010-1:2010, Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control,
and laboratory use
1.2 Safety notes
With regards to the degrees of hazard, safety notes are classified in this manual by signal words as
follows:
DANGER
Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious
(possibly irreversible) injury and major property damage.
WARNING
Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious
(possibly irreversible) injury and major property damage.
CAUTION
Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or
moderate (reversible) injury.

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NOTE
Hazard, which could result in material damage if the appropriate safety instructions
are not observed
1.3 Summary of possible hazards
During installation, operation and maintenance of the spectrometer, different types of hazards can
occur. Following warning labels indicate different dangerous situations which may occur under
improper use of the equipment. Always refer to the manual for proper handling.
Warning symbol or label
Definition
This warning symbol indicates a general hazard. Refer to the
safety instructions and follow the precautions described to
avoid injury or property damage.
This warning symbol indicates an electrical hazard. The label is
located near live parts or on housing behind which are live parts.
Do not touch these parts. If maintenance work is needed, first
turn of the main power switch and unplug main power cable.
Ensure that all live parts do not come into contact with a
conductive substance. Failure to follow these instructions can
cause personal injury or property damage.
This warning symbol indicates a laser hazard. Refer to laser
safety instructions before putting product into operation.
This symbol indicates a connector that is used as a grounding
terminal. Be aware that an appropriate cable must be
connected for proper protective electrical grounding.
This warning label indicates an aperture from which visible and
invisible radiation is emitted. Always keep in mind position of
the beam when placing equipment or sample in the beam path.
This warning label is located on access panels. It indicates that
when the access panel is opened, user might be exposed to the
beam. Under normal use, the laser radiation is only accessible
when interlock is defeated.
All warning labels must be preserved legible. In case of damage or worn label, it must be immediately
replaced.

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1.4 Intended use
The spectrometer and its components should only be used according to the instructions described in
the manual or advised by IRsweep support. In case of accessories or components made by other
manufacturers and used in connection with the spectrometer, IRsweep does not assume any liability
for safe operation and proper functioning. If the equipment is used in a manner not specified by the
manufacturer, the protection provided by the equipment may be impaired.
The spectrometer is intended for use in a laboratory under the environmental conditions specified in
chapter 6.
WARNING
Health hazard due to improper use of the spectrometer
A failure to follow instructions could result in injury and damage to the spectrometer.
In case of uncertainty, always contact IRsweep support before taking any actions.
1.5 Laser safety
The spectrometer is equipped with two mid-infrared semiconductor lasers. The lasers emit >500 mW
of optical power. According to IEC 60825-1:2014, the incorporated lasers are class 4 products.
The IRis-F1 spectrometer is classified as a class 3B product. This means, infrared radiation of up to
500 mW optical power is accessible to the user during operation or maintenance. It is the user’s
responsibility to operate the spectrometer in a laboratory that is suitable for class 3B laser products.
Please note that the infrared radiation is invisible. Therefore, take extra precautions when placing
accessories or samples into the laser beam path.
Accessible laser radiation has following properties:
•Maximum permissible exposure: 500 mW
•Wavelength range: 4 µm to 14 µm
•Beam divergence: 1 to 5 mrad
•Class 3B
In addition, a visible (red) laser pointer is incorporated in the device. This laser radiation has the
following properties:
•Maximum permissible exposure: 1.2 mW
•Wavelength: 635 nm
•Beam divergence: 0.6 mrad
•Class 3R
WARNING
Exposure to class 3B laser radiation can cause serious eye injury
Class 3B laser products can permanently harm eyesight if viewed directly. Avoid any
direct beam exposure to the eye. It is highly recommended to use appropriate
protective equipment. Always be aware of the beam location. Keep it away from
people’s eyes and watch out for reflected beams.
Be aware that there is a potential risk of exposure to laser radiation of laser class 4 in the following
cases:

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•Unauthorized removal of the metallic parts (housing)
•Damaged metallic parts (housing) or optics
If there is evidence or suspicion for such a case, immediately contact IRsweep support and refrain
from using the spectrometer.
WARNING
Exposure to class 4 laser radiation can cause serious eye injury and skin burns
Class 4 laser products can permanently harm eyesight and cause skin burns even from
scattered radiation. Avoid any eye or skin exposure to direct or scattered radiation.
1.6 Protective equipment
Use of laser protective eyewear is highly recommended for class 3B products. Therefore, we advise to
always use proper eyewear when operating the spectrometer, i.e. eyewear for infrared laser radiation
with an optical density of at least 3 in the operation range of the laser. In case of uncertainty, please
contact IRsweep support.
For the Phase Sensitive Configuration (PSC) variant of the IRis-F1, some optical components in the
maintenance region can be hazardous, depending on the exact configuration (e.g. wavelength).
Possible substances that user can get in contact with are:
•Zinc Selenide
•Barium Fluoride
Both are classified as class 6.1: poison. Always take precautions when working with or near these
substances, e.g. wear protective gloves. If an optical component is damaged or broken, first study the
safety regulations for the respective substance. In case of uncertainty, please contact IRsweep
support.
1.7 Service contact
In case you have questions about safety, installation, operation, repair, or maintenance of the
spectrometer please contact the IRsweep service desk via the following link:
•https://irsweep.com/support/
You can also use this portal to submit bug reports and feature requests. For very urgent enquiries
please call [phone].

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2General
2.1 IRis-F1 configurations
The IRis-F1 optical assembly is available in two distinct configurations:
The amplitude sensitive configuration is characterized by a superposition of the two frequency comb
lasers inside the laser module. Consequently, both frequency comb laser beams pass through the
sample compartment and are being absorbed by the sample. This leads to an increased amplitude of
the absorption signal and a corresponding improved signal to noise ratio.
The phase sensitive configuration is characterized by only one frequency comb laser beam passing
through the sample compartment. The sample beam is superimposed with the second frequency
comb beam after the sample compartment. While this configuration has a reduced sensitivity to
amplitude changes, it gives direct access to the optical phase shift induced by the sample. Thus, it
allows for concurrent measurement of the real and the imaginary part of the refractive index of the
sample. Additionally, the spectral resolution in the phase sensitive configuration is only limited by the
drift of the frequency comb laser line which is on the order of 1 MHz (equals to 3e-5 cm-1).
2.2 IRis-F1 components
This chapter provides an overview of all components and features of the spectrometer.
2.2.1 Optical unit
The optical unit is the core of IRis-F1. In this chapter, we show the top, front and back views of the
optical unit and explain all important features.
Figure 1: Top view of the optical unit

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Figure 1
Description
A
Sample compartment
B
Maintenance area
C
Laser module compartment
D
Service area
E, F
Access panels to maintenance area
G, H
Polarizer adjusters
The sample compartment (A) provides a space to manipulate the beam: accessories and samples
should be placed on the breadboard (M6 threaded holes). It is also possible to guide the beam out of
the sample compartment to a desired destination, and then back to sample compartment. The sample
compartment access panel can be entirely removed by loosening the two screws located at the back
of the sample compartment.
Maintenance area (B) contains two detectors and beam-steering optics. This area should be generally
accessed to adjust the beam alignment on the detectors. The access panels (E& F) provide an easy
way to work in the maintenance area.
WARNING
Possible exposure to toxic substances
In the phase-sensitive configuration (PSC), some optical components may contain
toxic substances. The polarizer contains Barium Fluoride and beam-splitters may
contain Zinc Selenide (based on wavelength configuration). Study relevant safety
regulations and always wear gloves when working in the maintenance area.
The sample compartment and access panels are secured with an interlock mechanism. This means
that when an access panel is opened, the beam will be blocked automatically. If maintenance work
with the laser beam is required, the interlock (a push-pull button) can be pulled out to override the
interlock mechanism. Every access panel is secured with two such interlocks, thus both of them need
to be pulled out in order to override the interlock (for each access panel). Every access panel also
contains a green LED that indicates the status of interlock. If the LED is on, the interlock mechanism is
disabled.
The laser module compartment (C) contains a bay for placing exchangeable laser modules. Different
laser modules can be used with the same optical unit, depending on the desired wavelength of the
laser radiation. More information on how to safely place and exchange laser modules can be found in
Chapter 3.
The service region (D) is not accessible to user and shall be only used by professional personnel.
Polarizers adjusters (G& H) can be used to control the laser radiation power by rotating the wheel.
For ASC, polarizer adjusters are located in the service region. The wheel Gadjusts the power on
reference path (detectors) and the wheel Hadjusts the power on sample path (detector). For PSC, the
polarizer adjuster H is instead located inside the maintenance region.