Spectrometer Resolution Calculator
Calculate spectral resolution from grating, focal length, slit width, and detector parameters for Czerny-Turner spectrometers.
Spectral resolution is the minimum wavelength separation a spectrometer can distinguish as two separate lines. In a Czerny-Turner spectrometer — the most common laboratory design — resolution is set by the grating groove density, the focal length of the focusing mirror, the width of the entrance slit, and the pixel size of the detector array. This calculator applies the grating equation and slit-limited resolution formula to compute Δλ (minimum resolvable wavelength interval) and the wavelength at any given diffraction angle, helping with instrument selection and configuration for spectroscopy experiments.
For the full treatment of spectrometer design — Czerny-Turner geometry, detector selection, SNR, stray light, and fiber coupling — see the Spectrometers comprehensive guide.