# Design Method of a Wide-Field, Dual-Slit, Low-Distortion, and High-Sensitivity Hyperspectral Imager

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new hyperspectral imager design that improves image quality and sensitivity using dual slits and advanced optical corrections.

## Contribution

The novel design combines dual slits and prism tilt compensation to achieve high sensitivity and low distortion in hyperspectral imaging.

## Key findings

- The dual-slit design increases the signal-to-noise ratio by 1.4 times after image fusion.
- The imager achieves an MTF better than 0.4 and meets registration accuracy requirements.
- Spectral smile and keystone are both less than or equal to 0.3 pixels.

## Abstract

To increase target acquisition probability and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of hyperspectral images, this paper presents a wide-field, dual-slit, low-distortion, and high-sensitivity Offner hyperspectral imager, with a wavelength range of 0.4 μm to 0.9 μm, a numerical aperture of 0.15, and a slit length of 73 mm. To avoid signal aliasing, the space between the dual slits is 2.4 mm, increasing the SNR by 1.4 times after dual-slit image fusion. Furthermore, to achieve the required registration accuracy of dual-slit images, the spectral performance of the hyperspectral imager is critical. Thus, we compensate and correct the spectral performance and dispersion nonlinearity of the hyperspectral imager by taking advantages of the material properties and tilt eccentricity of a low-dispersion internal reflection curved prism and high-dispersion double-pass curved prisms. To meet the final operation requirements, the tilt of the internal reflection curved prism is used as a compensator. Using the modulation transfer function (MTF) as the evaluation criterion, an inverse sensitivity analysis confirmed that the compensator is a highly sensitive component. Additionally, the root mean square standard deviation (RSS) discrete calculation method was adopted to assess the influence of actual assembly tolerance on spectral performance. The test results demonstrate that the hyperspectral imager meets the registration accuracy requirements of dual-slit images, with an MTF better than 0.4. Furthermore, the spectral smile and spectral keystone of the dual-slit images are both less than or equal to 0.3 pixels.