A self-operating broadband spectrometer on a droplet

P. Malara (), A. Giorgini, S. Avino, V. Di Sarno, R. Aiello, P. Maddaloni, P. De Natale and G. Gagliardi
Additional contact information
P. Malara: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
A. Giorgini: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
S. Avino: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
V. Di Sarno: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
R. Aiello: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
P. Maddaloni: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
P. De Natale: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)
G. Gagliardi: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-5

Abstract: Abstract Small-scale Fourier transform spectrometers are rapidly revolutionizing infrared spectro-chemical analysis, enabling on-site and remote sensing applications that were hardly imaginable just few years ago. While most devices reported to date rely on advanced photonic integration technologies, here we demonstrate a miniaturization strategy which harnesses unforced mechanisms, such as the evaporation of a liquid droplet on a partially reflective substrate. Based on this principle, we describe a self-operating optofluidic spectrometer and the analysis method to retrieve consistent spectral information in spite of the intrinsically non-reproducible droplet formation and evaporation dynamics. We experimentally realize the device on the tip of an optical fiber and demonstrate quantitative measurements of gas absorption with a 2.6 nm resolution, in a 100 s acquisition time, over the 250 nm span allowed by our setup’s components. A direct comparison with a commercial optical analyzer clearly points out that a simple evaporating droplet can be an efficient small-scale, inexpensive spectrometer, competitive with the most advanced integrated photonic devices.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16206-8

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