In this article we outline how ultra-compact, yet high performance spectrometers can be designed and built with highly dispersive transmission gratings. By using fused silica as the grating material, and by careful design of the detailed grating structure, we demonstrate an ultraviolet spectrometer with a high and nearly flat efficiency from 178 to 409 nm, a resolution of 0.2 nm, and dimensions of only 61 mm × 64 mm × 19 mm. We tested this spectrometer in a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy experiment and showed that the spectral information gathered with the spectrometer can be used to obtain quantitative results for sulfur.
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