Patent ID: 7440095

Claim:
A spectroscope including: a. a light source having a source output aperture from which output light is emitted, the emitted output light being defined by a collimated output light beam; b. a source objective element defined by a Schwarzschild objective having: (1) a convex reflector receiving light from the light source, the convex reflector having a limiting aperture, and (2) a concave reflector receiving light from the convex reflector; c. a specimen stage receiving the light from the concave reflector; d. a detector receiving the light from the specimen stage; and e. one or more intermediate source optical elements passing the light from the light source to the source objective element, wherein the intermediate source optical elements adapt the source output aperture of the light source to be at least substantially critically imaged to the limiting aperture of the source objective element's convex reflector.