Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

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GP: Fachverband Geschichte der Physik

GP 4: Instruments and Measurement

GP 4.3: Talk

Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 17:45–18:15, KH 02.019

Development, optimization, distribution, installation and repair of early Bruker Fourier transform infrared spectrometers — •Prof. Dr. Klaus Hentschel — Head of the Section for History of Science & Technology, University of Stuttgart

Roughly 50 years ago, the Karlsruhe & Ettlingen-based company of Bruker Optics introduced its first Fourier-transform infrared spectro-meter IFS 113v. An interdisciplinary working group at the University of Stuttgart, consisting of physicists still working with similar kinds of Fourier-transform instruments and a historian of science & instrumentation, collaborated with the Bruker Optics company which gave free access to its archives. A website is produced informing interested users about the history of Fourier-transform technology, the history of Bruker Optics and technical details of FT interferometers including beam-splitters and mirrors, detectors, typical sources etc. Furthermore, 4 members of the Bruker team were interviewed who were active in the early years and had participated in Bruker instrument development and improvement, management, sales, installation and repair. All of this will be presented in an openly accessible webpage, to be released in the spring of 2026. Samples of this webpage will be presented and discussed.

Keywords: History of Physics; Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers (FTIR); Bruker Optics; infrared physics; interferometry