Question

What's the difference between FT-IR spectroscopy and Michelson's interferometer? Are they the same thing?

Answer 1

The Michelson's interferometer describes a class of reflected interferometers known as amplitude splitting interferometers. It consists of two mirrors that are placed at right angles and also a beamsplitter which separates an incoming beam of light into two beams of exactly same intensity.

The fourier transform spectrometer ( FT-IR) utilizes a similar fundamental setup of mirrors and beamsplitter as a Michelson interferometer, however one of the mirrors can be moved quickly forward and backward.The recombined beam is distinguished synchronously with the movement of the mirror.

No, they are not the same.