A new integrated "snapshot spectroscopy" system, developed in China, offers improved precision in determining the spectral and spatial composition of light from an object.
This compact system outperforms existing astronomical spectrometers, leveraging randomly textured lithium niobate to achieve better results.
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.
Conventional spectrometers rely on diffractive optics, making them large, expensive, and inefficient for rapid image acquisition.
Author's summary: New snapshot spectrometer outperforms existing systems.