Enhanced resolution in argon and neon spectra using a Super-Resolution algorithm

¹ Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - PO Box 48-3, 62251, Cuernavaca, Mor., México
² Instituto de Matemáticas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - Circuito Exterior, C.U., 04510, México D.F., México

Received: 18 December 2015
Accepted: 18 February 2016

Abstract

This paper presents the principles and application of a super-resolution (SR) technique, based on a L¹-norm minimization procedure. In particular, the technique is applied to improve low-resolution resolution spectra as obtained from the optogalvanic effect in neon and argon discharges over the 413–423 nm wavelength range. By applying the super-resolution algorithm to the experimental data, a surprising 70-fold reduction of the linewidth is achieved allowing to resolve prior indistinguishable peaks. It is found that further improvements on the resolution are limited by the signal-to-noise ratio of the original spectra. The importance of a suitable mathematical representation of the experiment and the discussion on other applications of this super-resolution technique in spectroscopy are also presented.