TU Graz develops mobile UV spectrometer

Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt and her team at Graz University of Technology have developed a new, compact UV dual-comb spectrometer capable of detecting gaseous air pollutants like Formaldehyde with unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity. This device, shrunk to the size of a cardboard box, uses ultraviolet double laser light to measure pollutant concentrations within half a second, making it suitable for mobile use in various environments. The research also led to the correction of Formaldehyde's rotational constants, which had been incorrect in physics databases since the 1960s, a collaboration with Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Rolf Breinbauer. The project received funding from the Australia — Australian Research Council, the Austrian Science Fund, and NAWI Graz, highlighting its significance for both basic research and practical environmental protection.