Scientists, including an Oregon State University materials scientist, have developed a better tool for measuring light, contributing to a field known as optical spectrometry in a way that could improve everything from smartphone cameras to environmental monitoring.
The study, published today in Sciencewas led by Finland’s Aalto University and resulted in a powerful, ultra-thin spectrometer that fits on a microchip and operates using artificial intelligence.
The research focused on a relatively new class of ultra-thin materials known as two-dimensional semiconductors, and the result is a proof-of-concept for a spectrometer that could be easily integrated into a variety of technologies, including flat -forms of quality inspection, security sensors, biomedical analyzers and space telescopes.
“We have demonstrated a way to build spectrometers that are much more miniature than what is typically used today,” said Ethan Minot, professor of physics at OSU College of Science. “Spectrometers measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths and are extremely useful in many industries and in all fields of science for identifying samples and characterizing materials.”
Traditional spectrometers require bulky optical and mechanical components, while the new device could fit on the tip of a human hair, Minot said. The new research suggests that these components can be replaced by new semiconductor materials and AI, allowing spectrometers to be drastically reduced in size from today’s smaller ones, which are about the size of a grape. .
“Our spectrometer does not require the assembly of separate optical and mechanical components or array designs to disperse and filter the light,” said Hoon Hahn Yoon, who led the study with his Aalto University colleague Zhipei. Sun Yoon. “Furthermore, it can achieve high resolution comparable to benchtop systems but in a much smaller package.”
The device is 100% electrically controllable when it comes to the colors of the light it absorbs, giving it huge potential for scalability and widespread use, the researchers say.
“Integrating it directly into portable devices such as smartphones and drones could improve our daily lives,” Yoon said. “Imagine that the next generation of our smartphone cameras could be hyperspectral cameras.”
These hyperspectral cameras could capture and analyze information not only from visible wavelengths, but also enable infrared imaging and analysis.
“It’s exciting that our spectrometer opens up possibilities for all sorts of new everyday gadgets, and instruments for doing new science as well,” Minot said.
In medicine, for example, spectrometers are already being tested for their ability to identify subtle changes in human tissue such as the difference between tumors and healthy tissue.
For environmental monitoring, Minot added, spectrometers can detect exactly what kind of pollution is in the air, water or soil, and how much.
“It would be nice to have low-cost handheld spectrometers that do this job for us,” he said. “And in the educational setting, hands-on teaching of science concepts would be more effective with inexpensive, compact spectrometers.”
Applications also abound for science enthusiasts, Minot said.
“If you like astronomy, you might be interested in measuring the spectrum of light you collect with your telescope and having that information identify a star or a planet,” he said. “If geology is your hobby, you can identify gemstones by measuring the spectrum of light they absorb.”
Minot believes that as work on two-dimensional semiconductors progresses, “we will quickly discover new ways to use their novel optical and electronic properties.” Research on 2D semiconductors has only lasted for about ten years, starting with the study of graphene, carbon arranged in a honeycomb lattice one atom thick.
“It’s really exciting,” Minot said. “I think we will continue to make exciting breakthroughs by studying two-dimensional semiconductors.”
In addition to Minot, Yoon, and Sun, the collaboration included scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Sichuan University, Yonsei University, and Cambridge University, as well as other researchers from Aalto University.
Harness hidden visual information: an all-in-one detector for thousands of colors
Hoon Hahn Yoon et al, Miniaturized spectrometers with a tunable van der Waals junction, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.add8544. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add8544
Provided by Oregon State University
Quote: A light analysis “lab on a chip” opens the door to widespread use of portable spectrometers (2022, October 29) retrieved on October 29, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-light -analyzing-lab-chip-door-widespread.html
This document is subject to copyright. Except for fair use for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for information only.
#Lightanalysis #labonachip #opens #door #widespread #handheld #spectrometers