Handheld spectrometer. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

handheld spectrometer

22.08.2012

Specialists of the Center for Space Flights. Goddard, NASA, demonstrated a miniature "on a chip" spectrometer. The device significantly reduces the dimensions of the most valuable common scientific instrument, increases reliability and reduces the cost of its operation.

Spectrometers such as the infrared CIRS are very valuable scientific instruments. The same CIRS has successfully studied "tiger stripes" on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Thanks to new technology, in the future, such appliances will not barely fit into the size of a washing machine, but will become extremely compact and reliable.

The main components of the new spectrometer are assembled on a single silicon wafer and do not require moving parts. This will radically increase reliability and reduce the dimensions of the device. The revolutionary miniature Fourier spectrometer (FTS), like the CIRS, will be sensitive to the mid-infrared spectrum, which is used to study the spectra of planets and stars, determine their chemical composition and other physical properties.

With conventional instruments, a beam splitter takes the incoming light collected by the telescope and splits it into two light beams. One beam of light is reflected from a fixed flat mirror, and the other from a mirror that is attached to a rotary mechanism. At the end of the optical path, the two beams recombine. Of course, such a design is complex, consumes a lot of energy and is not very reliable in space conditions.

In the new spectrometer, the mirrors are replaced by a microscale photonic system of 60 hollow waveguides 10 times thinner than a human hair. Engraved inside a silicon wafer, these tiny systems will do the job of traditional spectrometer types. The light will travel down tiny waveguides, reach a Y-junction, split, and then continue down two separate channels. One beam will travel a longer path, and then the beams will be recombined to produce a spectrogram. A spectrometer on a chip that fits in the palm of your hand but can do all the work of a large, complex spectrometer with moving parts.

<< Back: saffron against cancer 23.08.2012

>> Forward: tallest tower in the world 22.08.2012

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

liquid laser in air 14.07.2015

Dye lasers are often referred to as "liquid" lasers because they use solutions of organic dyes as the laser material. This name smoothly migrated to the US Advanced Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) - "High Energy Liquid Laser Protection System", and it remained there. This is despite the fact that the development of General Atomics was a combination of a solid-state laser with a high energy density and a dye laser that allows you to control the temperature.

The program began about ten years ago and set the goal of creating a 150 kW laser to destroy missiles and projectiles, which would weigh no more than 5 kg per kilowatt of energy and take up no more than 3 cubic meters in volume so that it could be placed in an aircraft. By 2007, a 15 kW laser had been built in the lab, and in April of this year, General Atomics conducted successful acceptance testing of the all-electric HELLADS system weighing less than 907 kg (i.e. about 6 kg per kilowatt) and with a volume of 1,3 x 0,4 x 0,5 m, powered by a lithium-ion battery. During the 30-second demonstration, the beam quality remained unchanged, thus confirming the possibility of maintaining the quality of the electric pump laser beam at a power of more than 50 kW.

Now the laser, or rather, its so far a demonstration sample for ground placement, will go for testing at the White Sands test site in New Mexico. The 8287 km test site is the largest area in the United States owned by the Department of Defense. General Atomics expects by 2018 to begin installing HELLADS lasers on its own Avenger-type drones, previously well known under the name Predator C.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews