Spectroscopy seems simple: split a beam of light into its constituent wavelengths with a prism or diffraction grating, and measure the intensity of each wavelength. The devil is in the details, though ...

Researchers have developed a compact infrared spectrometer. It's small enough to fit on a computer chip but can still open up interesting possibilities -- in space and in everyday life. Nowadays, a ...

A spectrometer that directly detects the vibrational “fingerprint” of molecules offers a sensitive new way of deducing a material’s chemical make-up. The device, which was developed by researchers in ...