1,000x smaller spectrometer packs power of larger devices, could boost space research
The researchers demonstrated that the device can accurately measure light wavelengths down to 0.05 nanometers —
Researchers have developed a spectrometer capable of applications ranging from disease detection to astronomical observations.
Spectrometers have been around for centuries, but this is a game-changer. It’s incredibly precise and can measure light with unprecedented detail.
By breaking down light into its individual colors, spectrometers can reveal information about the composition of materials, from stars to biological samples.
The UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed this tiny spectrometer that can measure light with a level of detail that would be comparable to a much larger instrument.
The instrument can be customized for specific research, unlike larger, more expensive instruments.
In a demonstration, the device accurately measured light wavelengths down to 0.05 nanometers — “that’s about 1.6 million times smaller than the width of a human hair.”
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.