An international team of experts has created the world’s smallest spectrometer, which can be used for scientific and medical purposes. The invention will open new avenues of research from smartphone cameras to environmental research because of its use. The list is very long.
The Finnish Aalto team has carried out this important work in international collaboration, which is detailed in the journal Science. It is built on a two-dimensional semiconductor that is powerful and efficient despite its small size. This microchip-sized spectrometer is powered by artificial intelligence and algorithms.
It should be noted that the technology of making electrical circuits on very thin semiconductor is very new and untouched and this sensor can also be used in space research apart from medical and security purposes. This spectrometer is much smaller than conventional spectrometers, said Ethan Minnow, a physics professor at Oregon State University. However, it can provide detail by sensing the intensity of light, and the radiation of different wavelengths.
The team claims that an even smaller version is under investigation that will be about the thickness of a human hair, but can provide its details at high resolution. Their most important uses may be in smartphone cameras and drones, while there is also a long list of medical applications.
Electronics experts have said that with this invention, such thin devices can be made which could not be imagined before. Even cancer research can be revolutionized.
