Title: step-scan interferometer
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - step-scan interferometer
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.08681
Status: current

Definition
Interferometer (typically used for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) in which the optical path difference is changed by a certain amount, held constant, or modulated if phase modulation is desired, while the signal at the current path difference is recorded, then the process is repeated.

Related Terms
- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08605
- optical path difference: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08653

Source
- PAC, 2021, 93, 647. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in analytical spectroscopy (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)' on page 764 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0203)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08681/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08681/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08681/xml

Citation: Citation: 'step-scan interferometer' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.08681
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-06-28T17:29:10+00:00