China's fingernail-sized chip can map 5,600 stars in seconds

Chinese researchers at Tsinghua University have developed a groundbreaking optical chip named Yuheng (also called Rafael) that is no larger than a fingernail but capable of mapping up to 5,600 stars in a single snapshot with unprecedented spectral precision. The chip records starlight at 88 frames per second and achieves a color resolution 100 times sharper than conventional imagers, distinguishing colors separated by less than a tenth of a nanometer. Unlike traditional spectroscopic instruments that physically separate light into colors—resulting in bulky devices and light loss—Yuheng uses a novel approach combining tiny random interference patterns and a lithium niobate crystal to encode all incoming light simultaneously. Advanced algorithms then decode this information to reconstruct the full color spectrum rapidly and efficiently. This innovation compresses the functionality of large, complex optical benches into a compact, high-speed device with 73% light transmission, enabling ultra-high-resolution spectral analysis without sacrificing brightness or speed. The chip’s capabilities could revolutionize fields such