Snapshot Spectrometer Boosted by Randomly-Textured Lithium Niobate
A new integrated "snapshot spectroscopy" system developed in China has shown improved precision in determining the spectral and spatial composition of light from an object.
Conventional spectrometers, used in astronomy and other fields, rely on diffractive optics to separate incoming light into its constituent wavelengths, making them large, expensive, and inefficient for rapid image acquisition.
The new system uses randomly textured lithium niobate, allowing for compact and efficient spectroscopy, with potential applications in astronomy, materials analysis, and beyond.
Spectroscopy is crucial to analysis of all kinds of objects in science and engineering, from studying the radiation emitted by stars to identifying potential food contaminants.
- Astronomical imaging
- Materials analysis
- Potential applications in other fields
Author's summary: New snapshot spectrometer outperforms existing systems.