Highly sensitive multichannel spectrometer for subpicosecond spectroscopy in the midinfrared

A spectrometer system is presented for time-resolved probing in the midinfrared between 5 and 11 microm with a temporal resolution of better than 400 fs. Multichannel detection with HgCdTe detector arrays consisting of ten elements in combination with a high repetition rate permits one to record weak absorbance changes with an accuracy of 0.1 mOD.