A single detector based spectroscopy system using FAST (fiber array
spectral translator) fibers and two excitation sources in conjunction
with a holographic spectrum analyzer (HSA) to obtain simultaneous and
selective display of spectroscopic regions of interest. A sample can be
illuminated with different laser excitation wavelengths and resulting
multiple spectra can be comparatively observed on a single display screen
for more fruitful analysis of sample spectral responses (and, hence,
sample chemical or physical properties) under different excitations. The
HSA may be configured to focus on user-selected spectral regions of
interest from different such spectra and a single CCD detector may be
configured to collect spectral data from all selected spectral regions of
interest in corresponding portions of the CCD pixel array, thereby
allowing subsequent simultaneous display of such selected spectral
regions of interest. The HSA may also allow simultaneous collection and
display of portions of a single spectrum from a single excitation
wavelength. A user can perform better comparative analysis when spectral
regions of interest are juxtaposed with each other on a single electronic
display.