Patent ID: 7450238

Claim:
An array for the spectrally resolving detection of a sample ( 22 ) by detecting a sample radiation ( 24 ) emitted by the sample ( 22 ) illuminated by means of an illuminating radiation ( 12 ), the array comprising: a light source e ( 10 , 10 ′), an illuminating beam path via which illuminating radiation ( 12 ) can be delivered from the lighting source ( 10 , 10 ′) to the sample ( 22 ), a detector ( 40 ), an observation beam path via which sample radiation ( 24 ) can be delivered to the detector ( 40 ) as observation radiation, an interferometer ( 30 ) disposed in a section of the observation beam path which does not comprise the sample ( 22 ) such that said interferometer: splits incident interferometer input radiation into two radiation portions by means of an interferometer beam splitter ( 32 ), directs said two radiation portions via two paths which are provided with radiation-guiding means ( 34 , 36 ) and whose effective path length difference can be modified, and superimposes the two radiation portions in a mutually interfering manner so as to form an interferometer output radiation such that the spectral distribution of the observation radiation impinging at a specific point of the detector ( 40 ) can be modified by modifying the effective path length difference, wherein the interferometer ( 30 ) is arranged in a beam path section that is common to the illuminating beam path and the observation beam path such that the effective path length difference in the illuminating beam path changes when the effective path length difference is modified in the observation beam path.