Patent ID: 8873043
Filing Date: 2014-10-28
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for obtaining an emission from a sample in response to excitation using a specified range of excitation frequencies, the method comprising: generating a specified chirped waveform and a specified downconversion local oscillator (LO) frequency using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC); upconverting the chirped waveform via mixing the chirped waveform with a specified upconversion LO frequency; frequency multiplying the upconverted chirped waveform to provide a chirped excitation signal for exciting the sample; receiving an emission from the sample, the emission elicited at least in part by the chirped excitation signal; and downconverting the received emission via mixing the received emission with a signal based on the specified downconversion LO signal to provide a downconverted emission signal within the bandwidth of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC); wherein the generating the specified chirped waveform includes generating a first chirped waveform during a first duration, and a second chirped waveform during a second duration, the first and second chirped waveforms including respective bandwidths specified based at least in part on the bandwidth of the ADC and including a total bandwidth corresponding to the specified range of excitation frequencies.