Miniature spectrometers often underperform compared to larger ones and can be costly to produce due to complex manufacturing processes.
This new spectrometer overcomes these challenges by utilizing a waveguide on a chip to guide light into specific patterns based on color. This innovative approach reduces manufacturing time from weeks to hours and makes the device more affordable.
The data from the chip is processed by a machine learning algorithm that interprets the light patterns to create a highly accurate and precise image. This technique is known as “reconstructive” spectrometry.