Fraunhofer quickly builds laser system for product analysis

The Fraunhofer Institute has developed a laser system that can quickly determine the chemical composition of products. The system works like a spectroscope, with substances absorbing certain wavelengths while others are reflected.

According to the scientists of the renowned German institute, the laser system works with infrared light that is aimed at a test tube containing a substance to be tested. The substances in the test tube have a specific pattern of reflection and absorption, and this allows them to be identified. This makes the system work like a conventional spectroscope.

However, in order for the system to work, the scientists had to ensure that only one wavelength was emitted by the laser at a time. In addition, the emitted light beam must be constantly adaptable over a fixed spectra of wavelengths. The Fraunhofer researchers succeeded in making the wavelength adjustment considerably faster than was previously possible. As a result, a thousand light spectra per second can now be ‘shot’ at a sample to be examined, which is an acceleration of a factor of 1000.

The system can be used in the pharmaceutical industry and the food industry, among others. These industries have strict quality and production requirements, which means that products often have to be sampled. However, Fraunhofer’s laser system makes it possible to do this analysis in real time, rather than sending samples to a lab. Because the laser is barely bigger than a matchbox, it could also be built into mobile phones in the future.

The scientists plan to demonstrate their laser system at the Laser — World of Photonics event. That is from June 22 to 25 in the Bavarian city of Munich.