Single-pulse, Fourier-transform spectrometer having no moving parts.

A Wollaston prism is used in the design of a polarizing Fourier-transform spectrometer with no moving parts. The effective path difference between orthogonally polarized components varies across the aperture of the instrument, forming an interferogram in the spatial rather than temporal domain. The use of a charge-integrating linear detector array permits the entire interferogram to be sampled simultaneously so that a full spectrum is obtained for a single pulse of light.