Spectral radiometry

This Technical Note described the vision, later realized, for replacing the then conventional approach to high accuracy radiometry, which was based on blackbodies and standard lamps, by a new approach based on modern electro-optical technology. This technical note predated the development of silicon photodiode self-calibration and the electrically calibrated cryogenic radiometer, relying instead on the electrically calibrated radiometer as a high-accuracy radiant power standard. The use of amplitude stabilized lasers and tunable dye lasers in radiometry was also discussed.