Sparsity for Ultrafast Material Identification

Abstract

AbstractMid‐infrared spectroscopy is often used to identify material. Thousands of spectral points are measured in a time‐consuming process using expensive table‐top instrument. However, material identification is a sparse problem, which in theory can be solved with just a few measurements. Here the sparsity of the problem is exploited to develop an ultra‐fast, portable, and inexpensive method to identify materials. In a single‐shot, a mid‐infrared camera can identify materials based on their spectroscopic signatures. This method does not require prior calibration, making it robust and versatile in handling a broad range of materials.