International team develops scaled down spectrometer

The study, led by Finland’s Aalto University, resulted in a powerful, ultra-tiny spectrometer that fits on a microchip and is operated using artificial intelligence. The team’s findings are detailed in Science.

The research has led to a proof-of-concept spectrometer made with two-dimensional semiconductors that could be readily incorporated into quality inspection platforms, security sensors, biomedical analysers and space telescopes.

“We’ve demonstrated a way of building spectrometers that are far more miniature than what is typically used today,” said Ethan Minot, a professor of physics in the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Science. “Spectrometers measure the strength of light at different wavelengths and are super useful in lots of industries and all fields of science for identifying samples and characterising materials.”

Traditional spectrometers require bulky optical and mechanical components, whereas the new device could fit on the end of a human hair, Minot said in a statement. The new research suggests those components can be replaced with novel semiconductor materials and AI, allowing spectrometers to be scaled down in size from the current smallest ones, which are about the size of a grape.